


The Journey North

by tmtcltb



Category: The Last Ship (TV)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-25
Updated: 2016-06-21
Packaged: 2018-06-10 14:51:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 36
Words: 66,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6961441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tmtcltb/pseuds/tmtcltb
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>**Complete**</p><p>Danny Green, Carlton Burk, Wolf Taylor, Erik (Rick) Miller, Ken (Tex) Nolan, Teylor Cruz and Alisha Granderson journey north from Norfolk in search of family and closure while Kara deals with issues in Norfolk. The story will be told from various viewpoints and is set several months after the end of season 2.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Teylor Cruz

 

Chapter 1 – Teylor Cruz

Teylor Cruz leaned against the hood of the jeep, pretending that he couldn't see the public display of affection going on only feet away. Lieutenant Danny Green had one arm wrapped around his wife, while the other stroked the top of his daughter's head. Lieutenant Kara Green (née Foster) looked up at her husband, the words she was speaking too soft for Teylor to understand. But there was no mistaking the look in her eyes; the love, the fear, the resolution. The riotous emotions involved in loving someone so completely, with all of the accompanying risks and rewards.

They were emotions that Teylor understood all too well. Emotions, in fact, that he was currently experiencing. Unfortunately, it was not clear that the object of his affection felt the same way.

Caroline Green. Caro. Teylor had been captivated by her from the moment they met, when she turned her flashing blue-green eyes (her one physical resemblance to her brother) on him dismissively, as Danny introduced her as his "pain in the ass" younger sister. But Caro hadn't felt the same way. Or at least she hadn't admitted to feeling the same way. Not until they met again post-virus, when Teylor accompanied Danny to his hometown to search for his family, and Teylor had laid all of his cards on the table. For the last four glorious months Teylor had been riding high on the belief that he might actually have a future with the woman he had secretly (or maybe not so secretly) been in love with for years..

And then Saturday had happened.

Saturday was when Teylor had made the colossal mistake of asking Caro what size ring she wore, only to be told scathingly that she would never wear such an antiquated symbol of a man's ownership. Taken by surprise, Teylor's own reaction, to inform her that no ring meant no wedding, had, in retrospect, been an enormous error in judgment, setting them up, as it did, in a battle of wills. Caro had flounced off at that point, saving Teylor from making any other life-altering statements, and they had attended Captain Chandler and Doctor Scott's wedding together as planned. But the unresolved tension remained.

Because Teylor had not apologized, as he usually did when he and Caro fought, even when they both knew that it was her fault. Nor had he taken back his words, his subtle as a hammer statement that any wedding would be conditioned on her agreement to wear the damn antiquated symbol. Although the logical part of his mind screamed at him that he was being an idiot, risking losing the woman he loved over a symbol, Teylor could not let go of the dream of seeing his mother's ring on Caro's finger.

_Eight months prior – Louisiana_

_Danny glanced at Teylor with hooded eyes. Teylor knew that the significance of the large, red X spray-painted across the side of his parents' home had not been lost on any of his teammates. The plan, as it always was in these circumstances, was for the other guys to clear the house before Teylor would be allowed inside._

" _Taylor, Burk and I will take inside. Cruz, stay here with Tex and Miller." Whistling for Halsey, Danny headed towards the front door. Rick moved forward to stand next to Teylor, providing the only support that he could. A full ten minutes passed before the door opened again and Danny exited, his face grim._

" _I'm sorry, Teylor."_

_Teylor thought he had been prepared for the news, but the words shook him to the core._

" _Who…who was there?"_

" _Your parents and Eli and Oz and…." Danny's throat worked "the girls."_

_Teylor leaned heavily against the jeep. So his sister and brother-in-law were here, along with his nieces. God, the kids were so little – five, four and three. Stairstep children, he had jokingly called them to Eli, because the girls were only a year apart, before telling Oz that he needed to get snipped. Never in a million years had Teylor imagined them dead._

" _There's a letter for you in the kitchen," Carlton added. "We didn't move it. I can get it, if you want."_

" _No, I'll go."_

_He knew that they were all watching him. Not to judge him – Teylor had complete faith in that. But because they were worried. Worried that the news would break him the way it had broken so many others. And Teylor understood that worry. Because part of him wanted to walk into that house and never walk out again. But how could he do that to Carlton? Who, despite his frantic efforts to save her, had watched Ravit die? Or Wolf, who might have to wait years to look for his own family? Or Rick, who was just a kid? Or Danny, who had already seen too many of his people die?_

_At the kitchen table sat three letters, each addressed to one of the Cruz boys. Teylor's heart leapt at the sight. Perhaps there was hope. Not for his parents or his sister, but for his brothers, for his sisters-in-law, for his remaining nieces and nephews._

_Teylor lifted the letter off the table, his finger running over his name, written in his mother's perfect script across the front of the envelop. His finger slid under the flap, unsealing the letter and pulling out the single sheet of paper inside. As he did, an unadorned gold ring clattered to the table. His mother's wedding ring. Teylor lifted the ring, squeezing it tightly in his palm before sliding it onto the chain that held his dog tags. His eyes skimmed across the words on the paper, his mother expressing her love, her hope that he was safe, and her desire that he (the only one of her children to remain unmarried) keep the ring for his future wife. Ignoring the tears burning in his eyes, Teylor re-folded the letter and placed it carefully in his vest pocket before walking out of his childhood home for what he hoped would be the last time ever._

" _What are you thinking, T?" Danny put a hand on Teylor's shoulder, his warm palm burning through Teylor's uniform to the numb flesh below._

" _I need to bury them," Teylor responded emotionlessly._

" _Where?" Danny didn't hesitate._

" _At the church. Mama would want to be in consecrated ground."_

_Teylor turned, but before he could take a step Carlton blocked him, Burk's eyes meeting Danny's over Teylor's shoulder. "You should stay here. We can find it."_

" _No, I can't stay here. I need to do something." Teylor met Carlton's gaze directly._

_Danny was the one to make the call. "Lead on."_

_Danny, Carlton, and Tex fell in step with him, Wolf and Rick staying behind. They would follow with the bodies once the graves were dug. The men walked in silence towards the center of town where the church was located, nobody left alive to slow their progress. They had reached the edge of the cemetery when Halsey's growl alerted them to a foreign presence._

" _Padre?" Teylor unconsciously switched to Spanish at the sight of the parish priest he had known since childhood._

_The man's eyes widened in recognition. "Teylor Cruz? You must leave now! The sickness is here."_

" _We know, Father, we have the cure." Teylor waved his hand at Danny, who held up the CDC case he was carrying in case they ran into survivors._

_The priest collapsed in the middle of the road and, as Teylor and Carlton rushed to his side, Teylor noticed the tears streaming down his face. "God is merciful."_

" _Father, please drink some water," Carlton pulled out a bottle of water and opened it for the priest._

_Teylor waited until the man had drained half the bottle. "Are there other survivors?"_

" _Yes, a few." The man viewed Teylor sorrowfully. "I have not seen your parents in some time."_

" _We found my parents and sister at the house," Teylor replied quietly. "What about my brothers?"_

_The priest stood, motioning to the graveyard behind him. "I'm sorry, my son. They have been called home."_

Present

A movement caught his attention, and Teylor turned his head to see Caro standing a few feet away, her eyes reflecting the same uncertainty that he felt. Without thinking, Teylor stretched out his hand. Caro took a step forward to intertwine their fingers.

"I know that you are thinking about your family, Teylor. You don't have to go. Everyone will understand if you sit this one out." Caro's arm was digging into his sleeve, her eyes wide, her voice husky.

"I have to go, Caro."

" _Why?"_

The whispered word hung between them. Without thinking, Teylor wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair, breathing in the fresh scent of soap. "I have to go because I've been through it. Because if they weren't there in Louisiana with me….I am not sure what I would have done."

A sob wracked Caro. "How long will you be gone?"

"Two, maybe three, weeks. Danny will get word to Kara. She'll let you know where we are."

Caro nodded, her head moving against his chest, then she stepped back. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Teylor slid into the driver's seat, ignoring Danny's keen gaze. After a moment of silence, Danny held out a small piece of paper, folded in half. "This is from Kara. You aren't allowed to ask where she got it."

Puzzled, Teylor unfolded the paper to reveal the words "Size 6" in rather familiar script and a small circle the size of a nickel. Teylor grinned, feeling the sudden urge to whistle.

The circle was the size of a ring.


	2. Erik (Rick) Miller

_I realized as I was proofing this chapter that Miller says that his mother lives in Iowa, not Ohio, but Ohio works better for my storyline so I am sticking with it. Sorry for the inaccuracy._

Chapter 2 – Erik (Rick) Miller

"Well aren't we just a bunch of sad sacks," Tex observed as he popped a chocolate covered coffee bean into his mouth. He looked towards Carlton, seated next to Tex in the driver's seat of the jeep. "Makes you kind of hate the guy, doesn't it?"

From the backseat Erik Miller – Rick to his friends – had only a partial view of the other jeep and the scene that Tex was referencing. Danny Green was currently in the process of saying goodbye to his wife and daughter. A rather lengthy goodbye that involved a fair amount of PDA.

"When was the last time any of us got laid?" Tex continued. "Being the boyscout that you are, Burk, I doubt you and Bivas did the deed so I am putting your dry spell at well over a year, my man."

"Shut up, Tex," Burk replied, but there was no heat in his voice. That was the thing about Tex, even when he was driving you crazy you couldn't really get too pissed at him.

They all continued to watch the scene before them. Rick didn't have a good view of Kara, as her back was to him, but he could see Danny's face clearly. The man was completely focused on his wife, his eyes trained on Kara, his posture attentive. Danny looked down briefly, then his lips curled into a smile and he laughed. His mouth began moving, forming words that Rick could understand even from this distance. _I love you_.

"You _have_ had sex, haven't you, Miller?" Tex demanded.

" _Please_ do not answer that question, Miller," Burk replied, his voice strangled.

"Oh come on, you know you've wondered," Tex replied, popping another coffee bean into his mouth.

Rick ignored the byplay, his attention fixed on Danny. Rick might not have been the most popular guy in the room but, despite Tex's suggestion otherwise, he had done okay for himself as a young Navy seaman. At least in the sense Tex meant. None of the girls had ever stuck around, though. Not long enough for a relationship. Not long enough to fall in love. Not the way Danny and Kara were in love. Not the way that Carlton had loved Ravit.

An image of Maya flashed through Rick's mind and he wondered, if Maya had survived, what might have happened (assuming he ever got up the courage to ask her out). A pang went through Rick, as it always did, when he thought about Maya and the promise that he had made to her.

_Just over a year ago_

" _I would just like to say that... You are all... You're remarkable people. And... It is an honor to... It's an honor." Doctor Scott trailed off, the quiver in her voice plain for all to hear._

_Rick felt his stomach knot. Had he really volunteered to let this woman inject him with the most deadly virus known to man?_

_As Doctor Scott pressed the syringe holding the vaccine into his arm, Rick wondered if it was too late to take it back, to un-volunteer, as it were. After all, he had only volunteered because all of the other guys were. Not that they – or anyone – had pressured him. No, Captain Chandler had made it clear that volunteering was neither mandatory nor expected. But Burk, Green, Cruz and Tex had all volunteered and Green had been upset, rather than relieved, when Doctor Scott refused to consider him for the trial due to his bout with dengue fever._

_Rick knew that he had screwed up in Gitmo, shooting at those birds in a panic. And his close association with Cossetti had not earned him any friends in the aftermath of Cossetti and O'Connor's half-baked attempt to abandon the ship. Rick did not also want to be known as the only guy on the TAC team who failed to volunteer. Besides, he had figured that Doctor Scott only needed one white guy under forty and, since white guys under forty made up close to half of the Nathan James crew, chances were pretty slim that he would actually be picked._

_When he had been selected, Rick had been momentarily terrified, but the respect that he saw in the eyes of the crew and his teammates had buoyed him. He had also reasoned that Captain Chandler would never have agreed to this trial if he were not confident of the outcome. That had been enough to calm Rick's nerves. Well, enough to calm them until he was in the helicopter bay and the needle was actually entering his arm._

_That's when it hit him, in full force, that he might die._

_Things were better once they were actually in the tent. Rick found himself relaxing in the Master Chief's calm presence, and a few bad jokes from Tex set a jovial atmosphere. Best of all, Rick had managed to maneuver himself into the cot next to Petty Officer Maya Gibson, the woman whom he had been trying to work up the nerve to talk to for almost six months. He knew that she had a boyfriend but, given the state of the world, Rick was hoping that she might be willing to give him a shot._

" _Did you grow up in New York City?" Rick asked as Maya finished telling him that her parents died in the World Trade Center, hoping to invoke happier memories._

" _All over the world, actually," Maya replied, her lips curling at the memory. "My dad was a translator so we moved a lot. He worked his way up the ranks. We were in Cameroon for a while, then Haiti, Canada, Paris and finally New York."_

" _Wow. Before I joined the Navy the only other country I had been to was Canada," Rick admitted, feeling more than a little intimidated._

_Maya looked at him. "Where did you grow up?"_

" _Dayton, Ohio. Not much there except a lot of snow."_

" _That's near Niagara Falls, right? I always wanted to go to Niagara Falls," Maya offered. "Maybe someday you can show it to me."_

" _It's a date." The instant the words were out of his mouth, Rick was horrified. "I mean, I know you have a boyfriend, I just meant…"_

_Maya smiled. A real smile, her teeth flashing. "I know what you meant, Rick."_

_Rick flushed, the realization that Maya knew his nickname both elating and embarrassing. As Maya returned to her e-mails a comfortable silence fell between the two, a silence broken when Kara began to convulse. Rick clutched his lucky token as Doctors Scott and Tophet worked to stop the seizure. Vaguely Rick wondered whether the Captain had called Lieutenant Green to tell him what was going on._

_Rick had been dumbfounded to learn that Lieutenants Green and Foster were involved. Both had always seemed far too professional to break the frat rules. But Rick hadn't missed the fact that neither Cruz nor Burk had acted surprised when Kara appeared in the crew lounge the day that Green collapsed. Even Tex had looked more uncomfortable than shocked, leading Rick to believe that they had all known. Everyone but him. He was still the outsider._

" _Everything's all right. It was just the fever," Doctor Scott said, her voice calm and reassuring. Rick looked over to Maya, noticing the fear in her eyes, fear that he was sure was mirrored in his own._

" _I'll sit with her for a few minutes," Maya said as Doctor Scott, Doctor Tophet and Bertrise vacated the small space. Maya moved to Kara's cot, taking her limp hand and speaking to her softly. Rick hadn't realized that Maya knew Kara but, given how few women there were on the ship, it made sense that their paths had crossed._

_Rick had been drifting in and out, the ache in his bones making true sleep impossible, when Maya spoke to him again. "He went in after her."_

" _What?" Rick was confused, not just by the statement, but by everything going on around him. Everything seemed fuzzy, far away, unclear. But he knew that it was imperative he focus. Maya was telling him something important. Something he needed to remember._

" _My father. He was a firefighter. He went into the north tower."_

" _Jesus. You trying to cheer me up?"_

" _Anyway…that's why I signed up for the Navy." Maya laid back on her cot, eyes focused on something above her, something that only she could see._

_Rick struggled to think, to find something appropriate to say. "Why did you volunteer?"_

_Maya looked at him. "What?"_

" _Why did you volunteer for this? You must have known that you would be picked. You're one of two black women on board." Rick blurted the words without thought._

_Maya smiled again, an almost peaceful look on her face as she again focused on the space above her head. "I didn't want Alisha to get picked. I met her girlfriend once. Sarah. The two of them, it's the real deal. Mickey, well, he may or may not be looking for me. But Sarah, she's definitely looking for Alisha. I couldn't let Alisha be the one here. Not if I could help it."_

_Rick was trying to form a coherent response when his attention was caught by the Master Chief. The man stood, calling out for his daughters, hallucinating._

" _Holy shit, did you see that?" Rick said to Maya, his attention still on the Master Chief. But there was no answer and Rick turned. "Maya? Maya! Doc! Hey, Doc!"_

_Rick watched numbly as Doctor Scott zipped up the body bag, confirming what he had known the instant that he saw Maya's face._

" _It's not true what you said. That no one would miss you. I will."_

_His words were an affirmation, a promise. He would not let Maya be forgotten._

_Rick wasn't sure how much time passed as he lay there, his body aching, his mind wandering, before Danny Green entered the tent. Green didn't so much as acknowledge Rick, his focus entirely on Kara. Rick watched as Green leaned down to take Kara's hand. Rick had never seen that particular look on the man's face before, but he had no problem deciphering it. Devastation. And Rick knew that, no matter what Doctor Scott was saying, he was a dead man._

_Which meant that Maya was right._

_There really would be nobody left to miss her._

Present

Danny finally let go of Kara, opening the passenger side door to the lead vehicle just as Caroline Green made an appearance.

"Great, now we get to watch Cruz instead," Tex sighed. "Might as well relax, boys, looks like we are going to get a very late jump on the day."

 


	3. Alisha Granderson

 

Alisha rubbed her hands together briskly, thankful that Wolf had found enough crates in the abandoned warehouse to build a fire. Although the six hundred mile trip from Norfolk Virginia to Dayton Ohio technically could be done in a single day, none of them had wanted to be on unknown roads after dark, especially in winter. Even with her arctic gear Alisha was cold and stiff after hours of traveling. The warehouse provided them with some protection from the elements, as well as a defensible position in case of problems.

Alisha glanced over at Wolf. The two were alone at the moment, Danny and Carlton in the process of establishing a perimeter and Teylor and Rick gathering supplies from the vehicles. Tex had disappeared almost immediately upon their arrival. When Alisha asked, Wolf mentioned something about too much coffee and suggested that she really didn't want to know. Before today, Alisha had interacted rarely with the Australian. Given their disparate duties, their paths rarely crossed, and Alisha admittedly had not taken the time to get to know the man better. That was something she hoped to remedy now that they were going to be spending the next couple of weeks together.

"Who are you looking for?" Wolf asked, his voice deep and yet soft. Comforting, despite his size and how lethal Alisha knew the man could be.

"Sarah. My girlfriend." Alisha sensed the man's unspoken question. "Before Val, obviously."

"Ah," Wolf replied simply. "Were you together long?"

"Three years before the virus hit. We were planning a trip to Paris before I left."

_I was going to ask her to marry me._ Alisha added silently.

Wolf nodded, the motion conveying more than words his understanding, his sympathy. "How did the two of you meet?"

_Four years prior_

_Alisha smoothed down the stylish pantsuit that Amy Granderson had chosen for her only daughter to wear to tonight's fundraising event. The suit had been made by a high-end fashion name and fit impeccably. It also perfectly complimented Amy's own attire this evening for the inevitable mother/daughter pictures that Alisha would be subjected to._

_Alisha hated the outfit._

_For one thing, the navy blue suit with pinstripes was far too similar to the Navy uniform that she wore on an almost daily basis. When she finally got a chance to ditch her BDUs, Alisha preferred bright colors and more feminine styles; about as far away from a uniform as she could get. Of course, Amy had nixed any notion of Alisha wearing a dress. As her mother liked to say, nobody took a woman in a dress seriously. Trophy wives wore dresses. The entertainment wore dresses. But the one group that did not wear dresses was men. And if you wanted to play with the big boys, you had to act like the big boys. So instead of something she might actually have chosen and liked and reused, Alisha was wearing a power suit that would go immediately in the donation pile (because heaven forbid someone saw her in the same outfit twice, Alisha thought, restraining the urge to roll her eyes)._

_Despite Alisha's annoyance with her clothing, however, she would play her role as the dutiful daughter tonight without complaint. While Alisha did not enjoy the political game, she respected and admired her mother for the life that she had built for herself._

_The only child of a household servant and a soldier killed in the Korean War, Amy had grown up in a tiny apartment in the Bronx. Falling in with the wrong crowd, she had dabbled in drugs as a teenager and dropped out of school. At seventeen, Amy had been accused of, and arrested for, a crime that was eventually proven to have been committed by the daughter of her mother's employer, a woman who saw Amy as nothing more than a convenient patsy._

_That single incident had shaped Amy's future. Vowing never to be powerless again, Amy had determined that the best way to advance herself was to complete her education. She had spent two years at a small community college earning her GED and associates degree before applying too, and being accepted at, New York University, where she earned her bachelor's in political science. From there she headed to Georgetown for a master's degree. Once in Washington, Amy had fallen quickly in with a crowd of up-and-coming politicians, a number of whom had clearly seen the benefit of having a smart African American woman involved in their campaigns. And Amy had not missed the benefits that she could gain from having rich, well-connected politicians in her debt._

_Amy had shown herself to be clever and dedicated, quickly moving her way up the ranks. Which was how she met Senator Geller who, by all accounts, was almost certain to become the next President of the United States. Amy had campaigned for him tirelessly and, in response, he had promised her a seat on the defense policy board. Alisha knew, and Senator Geller himself likely suspected, that Amy Granderson saw the appointment merely as another stepping-stone on her own way to the top. But like all games played here in Washington D.C., loyalty was not a requirement for a political friendship, only mutual benefit._

_The only slight bump in the road of Amy's successes had been the collapse of her marriage to Alisha's father. Alisha has been devastated when her parents split, her father having been the parent to provide her with love, support, and nurturing as a young child. Although, in retrospect, Alisha was only amazed that her father had stuck it out as long as he did. A musician, her father had been a creative, sensitive man who had never learned to shield himself from Amy's mercurial moods and pointed criticisms. After the split, he had returned to his home in New Orleans and Alisha had seen him rarely before his death five years ago from cancer. The last time that Alisha had seen her father alive he had been a shell of the man that he once was, a fact that Alisha knew laid squarely on Amy, who had made the divorce and child custody arrangement as difficult as possible._

_But despite Amy's flaws, Alisha admired her mother's accomplishments, admired the life that Amy had forged for herself, even if it was not the life that Alisha wanted for herself._

_Which was why Alisha showed up at these events. Played the dutiful daughter. Posed for the pictures that would be splashed across campaign flyers. Alisha wanted to provide her mother with the kind of unconditional support that she had never before received. And Alisha hoped that, perhaps then, Amy might be able to provide the same support to her daughter._

_Grabbing a cocktail, Alisha meandered slowly across the room, smiling and shaking hands as she went. The entire point of this exercise was for Alisha to be seen. Trying to engage in any sort of meaningful conversation was unnecessary and, in fact, was frowned upon as it wasted time when she could be circulating. After making a second circle around the room, Alisha ducked into a side door. She knew, from past experience, that someone was likely to be playing the piano in the smaller space, giving Alisha a perfect excuse to sit and listen (and be seen), without the need for small-talk._

_Alisha didn't recognize the woman at the piano. But there were two unmistakable facts about her. First, she was incredibly talented. Second, she was gorgeous._

_The woman was young, no more than twenty-five. Red curly locks toppled carelessly down her back, her green dress emphasizing her pale skin, broken only by a dash of freckles across her neck and upper arms. Alisha sat captivated as the women played the piano, her long slender fingers moving elegantly across the keyboard. Her head bobbed as she played, her eyes closed as though she was unaware to the crowd that surrounded her._

_The sight was stunning._

_In too short a time, the woman finished the piece and stopped. Eyelids opened to reveal dazzling hazel eyes. The woman looked around the room startled, as though she had only just become aware of the audience's presence. At the splattering of applause, a flush spread across her cheeks – a sight that Alisha found delightfully guileless. Her eyes grazed across Alisha, and then returned, their gaze locking. Ignoring the remainder of the room, the woman stood and walked to Alisha's side._

" _I'm Sarah. A pleasure to meet you."_

Present

"We met at a fundraiser in Washington, D.C. Sarah's father was a senator from Wisconsin. He and my mother," the words were still difficult to say, "were both involved in President Geller's campaign. Sarah was playing the piano. She's incredibly talented."

"I heard you humming in the jeep earlier. Do you sing?"

"You've never heard baby girl's voice, Wolfman?" Carlton's voice echoed in the large warehouse. "Now that is something we need to remedy."

 


	4. Daniel Green

 

"Jason was from Columbus Ohio, wasn't he?" Carlton queried as he and Danny finished scouting the perimeter of the warehouse they had stopped at for the evening.

Danny considered the deceptively casual question. Jason Smith. Danny's teammate, his friend, his brother-at-arms. The four of them – Danny, Frankie, Steve, and Jason – had been a close-knit group serving together for years before boarding the Nathan James. Each one had been a skilled soldier – smart, capable, well-trained. But in the end it hadn't mattered. Who lived and who died had been luck of the draw. Frankie's mask had come off, Danny's had not. Danny had been safe on the Nathan James when the Russians opened fire, while Berchem and Smith had been in the canal. In a split second Jason and Steve were dead.

And the last thing they had talked about had been Berchem's x-rated honeymoon video.

"Yup."

"How far is that from Dayton?" Carlton asked. Dayton, Rick's hometown, was their first planned stop.

"About an hour, depending on the shape of the roads," Danny replied.

"Are you going to look for his family?" Carlton pressed.

Danny motioned to the jeep. "I brought his flag. Just in case. First priority is locating Mrs. Miller but, if that goes well, I might make a detour. See if I can locate them. Let them know what happened to Jay. That he died a hero. Saving our asses."

Burk nodded. "If you need some company, let me know. Only condition is that I drive. You drive like shit. I seriously do not know who gave you a license. How does Kara put up with it?"

Danny smirked at Carlton as he opened the doors to the warehouse. "I don't think my ability to drive a car is high on her priority list."

"I heard you humming in the jeep earlier. Do you sing?" Wolf was asking Alisha as they approached the fire.

"You've never heard baby girl's voice, Wolfman?" Carlton demanded. "Now that is something we need to remedy."

"Wolfman sings too, you know," Rick interjected as he and Teylor set the pile of sleeping bags and the pack of food down next to the fire.

Danny turned, arching an eyebrow at Wolf. "This I have to hear. Pick a song."

Wolf turned to Alisha. "A duet? Do you know 'Wonderful World'?"

_A year ago_

_Danny stood in the shadows, away from the group milling around the campfire listening to Alisha sing. He had always loved Alisha's voice but tonight the sound was grating on him, every syllable reminding him of the one person he could not seem to put out of his mind._

_Kara._

_Kara and Alisha on the deck of the Nathan James, Kara's heavy parka zipped all the way to her chin so only her face was visible, laughing at Danny as he brushed away the blanket of snow covering his coat and pants, acquired when Frankie shoved him into a snow bank._

_Alisha and Kara in the wardroom at dinner, Kara eating each pea individually off her fork, the way her mouth curved around the utensil driving Danny to distraction until she looked over at him and winked, as though she knew exactly what he was thinking._

_Kara and Alisha spotting each other at the gym, Kara lingering long after her usual routine was complete, until they were the only two people left in the room. Kara had smiled at him cheekily as he pulled her to the corner for a stolen embrace, the scent of her shampoo lingering on his sweatshirt for hours afterwards._

_Every word Alisha sang reminded Danny of a moment with Kara._

_This was their third night here at Serrana Bank. Commander Garnett and her team were still days away from completing the necessary repairs to the ship and the XO had given orders that anyone not on duty was to be on shore. Which was why Danny was here on the island, again, listening to Alisha sing rather than at the gym or in his bunk or in the crew lounge or somewhere that he stood a chance of convincing himself that staying away from Kara was the right thing to do._

_It had seemed so simple that night at Gitmo. Make a clean break. Get his head on straight. Focus on the mission._

_But things hadn't been so easy._

_In the two weeks since they left Cuba, Danny had thought about nothing but Kara. The look on her face on that last night haunted him – the anger, the confusion, the hurt when he told her to stay away from him. So different from the way she had looked at him earlier that day when she held him as he cried, when she reassured him that everything would be okay. That he could get through it. That he didn't have to do it alone. That she was there for him._

_Then there was the look on her face the next day, when they had run into each other while he was giving Tex a tour of the ship. Her pinched expression, the shadows under her eyes, the sharp nod she had given him before she turned away abruptly. All he had wanted to do was run after her, to tell her that he hadn't meant what he said, to put the spark back in her eyes, to make her smile._

_But he hadn't followed her that day and, as requested, Kara had left him alone. Days had gone by and he hadn't seen her in the wardroom or at the gym or even on the deck. He had actually begun haunting the corridors outside the CIC, hoping for a glimpse of her, needing to know that she was okay. At times he had sworn that he could smell her shampoo, as though she had passed that way only moments before, but she had continued to evade him._

_When Kara walked into the helicopter bay a week after the engines failed, three days after their water ran out, Danny hadn't been able to look away. Even with her lips split from dehydration and her skin pale and swollen, she had been as beautiful as the day he met her. He had craved the sight of her the same way that he craved a tall glass of water. Their eyes had met and Danny's heart had jumped at the realization that her presence here was deliberate. After days of avoiding him, she had sought him out. Faced with the possibility that one or both of them was about to die, she had wanted to see him again. Which meant that he hadn't completely destroyed the beautiful thing that had been growing between them._

_Of course, then they had found Serrana Bank. And as glad as Danny was for the fact that he wasn't dead, the moment with Kara had passed. By the time he found her here, on the beach, she was ensconced in a conversation with Burk and had made no indication that his presence was either welcome or desired._

_Frustrated by his wandering thoughts, Danny attempted to focus on the group around the campfire, listening to the snippets of conversation, mostly of loved ones feared lost. But despite his attempts to focus on something – anything – else, Danny was instantly aware when Kara moved away from the group. He assumed that she needed to use the facilities and watched the darkness for her return. A minute passed, then five, then ten. Ignoring the voice screaming in his head to be smart, to leave her alone, that she didn't want to see him, Danny rose and headed in the direction that Kara had gone. The XO had arranged two sentries on the beach. Presumably one of them would know where Kara went._

_Danny wasn't sure if it was good or bad luck that Teylor was on duty at the end of the beach where Kara had disappeared. Teylor knew how to keep his mouth shut, but he also couldn't be palmed off with a vague explanation like Miller or Cossetti could have been._

_Teylor didn't so much as blink at Danny's appearance. "Lieutenant Foster headed inland about ten minutes ago. Towards the rock formation. I was about to go check on her."_

" _I'll handle it." Danny didn't quite met Teylor's eyes, knowing that Cruz would be suspicious but that he would keep those suspicions to himself._

_Moving into the forest, Danny soon lost sight of the beach in the lush greenery. A quick search with the UAV the first day here had shown no large animals, and Doctor Scott had confirmed that the island had no snakes, which meant that the jungle should be relatively safe even at night. Even so, Danny wasn't comfortable with Kara being out here alone._

_He heard her before he saw her, the sharp inhalations of breathe and choking sounds a sure indication that she was crying. Danny's pace increased, his heart pounding as he imagined her coming out here to cry alone, not wanting anyone to see her in this moment of weakness._

_God he was glad that he hadn't let Teylor come look for her._

_As he stepped into the small clearing where Kara sat, the sniffling sounds ceased abruptly._

" _Did you need something, Lieutenant Green?"_

_Somehow she managed to keep her voice even, cool and composed, although Danny knew that she had been sobbing only seconds earlier._

" _Kara…" His voice faltered, uncertain of what to say, what he could say to make things better._

" _Now really isn't a good time."_

_She stood tautly, her back to him, refusing to turn around, to look at him. Moving forward, Danny wrapped his arms around her from behind, ignoring the way she stiffened at his touch. Dropping his forehead to the crook of her shoulder, he breathed against her neck. "I'm sorry, Kara. I'm so sorry."_

_For the longest time Kara didn't move. Then she turned, the moonlight illuminating the streaks of tears running down her face before she buried her face in his chest, her words muffled against his shirt._ _"You were right. They're probably dead. They're probably all dead."_

_As Danny stood there in the jungle, Kara sobbing in his arms,_ _he knew. He knew that no matter what he told Kara, no matter what he told himself, he would never be able to let her go._

_He would never be okay knowing that she was off by herself crying._

_He would never be okay seeing her in pain._

_He would never be okay sending someone else to find her._

_He would never be okay without her in his life._

_Because she was the only thing that he had left._

_And he didn't know what he would do without her._


	5. Carlton Burk

Carlton stared at the white expanse before him. Pretty much the only nice thing he had to say about snow was that it made watch duty remarkably easy. The crunchy white stuff made a stealth approach pretty much impossible. Unfortunately, the quiet of the early morning left him far too much time to consider where they were going.

Despite having spent weeks planning this trip, Carlton still didn't know whether he actually wanted to go home. The logical part of his brain told him that his family was dead. President Michener had established a northern base of operations in Chicago months ago. Word of the cure, and the Nathan James' involvement, must have spread to the West Side where Carlton had grown up by now and, if his family was alive, they would have found a way to contact him.

Which meant that they were dead.

But some little piece of Carlton's heart still held out hope that, by some enormous fluke, they _hadn't_ heard the news and were still there, holed up in the same house that his parents bought back when they got married in 1977.

The last time that Carlton had been in Chicago was three weeks before the Nathan James left for the Arctic. He had returned for the wedding of a childhood friend. The wedding itself had hardly been a draw – Carlton had not seen the groom since high school and had never met the bride. But the invitation offered an opportunity to reunite with friends from high school, many of whom he had lost touch with years before, as well as see his family again before leaving for a six month tour. Originally Kara was supposed to come to the wedding as Carlton's date, a role she often filled when they were both single, but the change in the Nathan James' departure date meant that she hadn't been able to leave Norfolk - much to the disappointment of Carlton's mother.

Marion Burk had been convinced from the moment that she laid eyes on Kara that she was the girl for Carlton, and wasted no opportunity to remind her son of that fact. Carlton had never managed to convince Marion – or anyone else in his family – that he and Kara were not secretly dating or, at the very least, that Carlton wasn't carrying a flame for her.

Truthfully, Carlton had always seen Kara like a sister. They had clicked the moment they met, after both were assigned to the Nathan James, and it hadn't taken long for them to become integrated into each other's lives. Carlton suspected the root of their friendship was the fact that he treated Kara as an equal, something that was unfortunately not always the case for female military personnel.

Carlton wondered, not for the first time, what his mama would have thought of Ravit. She wasn't Kara (which was an automatic black mark), but he was pretty sure that Marion would have warmed up to the Israeli woman quickly. Ravit had something that Marion would have admired - spunk.

Besides, it wasn't as though Kara was available. Carlton chuckled as he imagined his mother's reaction to learning that Kara had married someone else.

_Past_

" _So how was the wedding?" Kara asked._

_Cradling the phone between his ear and shoulder, Carlton rifled through the box holding his high school yearbooks. After all of the reminiscing from the night before, he had been spurred to look through them for the first time since, well, probably since high school. From the rustling on the other end of the line, Carlton figured that Kara was cooking dinner._

" _Pretty much what you would expect," Carlton replied. "Bride looked great. Groom looked terrified but calmed down after a few drinks. Good dancing."_

_Kara laughed. "Not every groom is terrified."_

" _Really? Name one who went to the alter completely sober," Carlton challenged._

_Kara didn't miss a beat. "Master Chief Jeter."_

_Carlton groaned. "Well he doesn't count. Or the Captain or XO. Nothing rattles them. A meteor could land at Slattery's feet and he would pick up the smoldering ash to light his cigar."_

_When Kara finished laughing she changed the topic. "So, any prospects at the wedding?"_

_Kara had spent the last six months setting Carlton up with her single friends but, despite a few pleasant dates, nothing had worked out. Kara had finally thrown her hands up, at a loss for why every girl she knew agreed that Carlton was a great catch, but none of them actually wanted to catch him._

" _Don't you worry about me, baby girl," Carlton replied. "You're the one who hasn't gotten laid in like a year."_

_Carlton heard her sigh. He knew why Kara rarely hooked up – in a town the size of Norfolk there was too much risk of running into (or having to work with) the guy in the future – but given the amount of time they spent out to sea trying to start a relationship was tough. "I still have a couple weeks, I guess. Slattery called in the senior staff yesterday – you were excused, of course – and wouldn't even tell us where we are going. Just said to pack winter gear."_

_Carlton mulled over that gem. Winter gear. Russia or the Nordic Sea? Of course, Commander Slattery was no fool. He could very well have told them to bring winter gear even if they were heading to the Middle East. Carlton, and he assumed Kara too, planned to pack an array of things. Hell, he would probably even throw in a swimsuit._

" _Oh, and we're getting a SEAL team. Mountain warfare unit."_

" _SEALs, huh?" Carlton could read between the lines of that one. Having a SEAL team on board meant that this trip was not just some boring escort mission, something for which Carlton was thankful._

" _XO wants you to play nice."_

_Carlton heard the smile in her voice. The Nathan James had played transport carrier to special force teams many times over the years. Most of them were fine, just doing a job like everyone else, but a few of the guys had needed to be taken down a peg or two and Carlton had been more than happy to help with the task._

_The conversation was interrupted by Carlton's cousin Danielle, who sashayed into the room. "You on the phone, C?"_

_Carlton smiled at the saucy young woman. Only twenty-four, Danielle had just graduated with a master's degree in early education and come home with the hope of landing a job at the local elementary school. "Just Kara."_

_Danielle snatched the phone from his hand. "Hey sweetie. I thought you were in coming to visit us this weekend. I haven't seen you in forever!"_

_Carlton turned his attention back to the yearbooks as Danielle chatted with Kara. A moment later his cousin looked at him again. "Oh, I forgot to tell you that Aunt Marion wants you to come downstairs."_

" _Tell Kara that I will call her later," Carlton replied as he headed downstairs to find out what his mother wanted. As he approached the kitchen door, Carlton heard a voice that he hadn't heard in years. Mr. Bouchard. His 10th grade science teacher. One of the many amazing teachers that Carlton had encountered over the years and the one who first encouraged him to consider applying to the Naval Academy._

" _There you are," his mother said as he entered, her voice mildly scolding. "Took you long enough."_

" _Sorry, I was on the phone."_

" _Kara?" His mother asked with a hopefully tone. She turned towards Mr. Bouchard. "Carlton here has a lady friend in Norfolk."_

" _Now, mama, you know that we are just friends. Nothing more."_

_Marion chuckled mischievously. "The two of you should make one of those deals. Like in that movie My Best Friend's Wedding. That if you're both single when you turn thirty-five that you marry each other. Except that you actually should get married to each other. Not someone else. Like what happened in the movie."_

_Carlton raised an eyebrow but wisely decided not to argue with his mother. He turned to Mr. Bouchard. "It's good to see you, sir."_

" _It's been a long time since anyone called me sir," the man replied with a cheerfulness that Carlton remembered well. Bouchard had served in the Marines as a young man and then had stayed in the reserves for many years thereafter. "Actually I came to ask a favor. I heard that you were staying through Tuesday and was hoping that you might be willing to come by the school on Monday afternoon for our career day."_

" _The Navy isn't sending a recruiter?" Carlton was surprised. Every year a few kids from his high school joined some branch of the military._

" _They will. But having someone local always makes a big difference. Shows the kids what it is really like."_

" _Happy to, sir. Just let me know when to be there."_

Present

Chuckling, Carlton remembered Kara's response when he told her the story later that night.

" _Oh yeah. I am totally in. Given my track record with men, I could do a hell of a lot worse."_

"What's so funny?"

Carlton was startled by the sound of Danny's voice. He glanced towards the other man. "Did I ever tell you that I was sort of pre-engaged to your wife?"

 


	6. Wolf Taylor

Senior Chief Wolf Taylor, Royal Australian Navy, stretched his legs out as much as was possible given his rather cramped position. He had been unfortunate enough to draw the seat behind Tex who, per the usual, had reclined the chair as far back as possible. Eyes mostly closed, Wolf surreptitious observed Rick through his eyelashes as Tex and Cruz continued to bantered about the various exotic foods they had eaten.

They were less than an hour from Dayton Ohio, Rick's hometown, and had decided to push through despite the setting sun. Heavy snow on the roads had slowed their advance to a crawl several times throughout the day, but this stretch of road was relatively clear and nobody wanted to make Rick wait another night when they were this close.

Notwithstanding Rick's calm outward demeanor, Wolf could sense how nervous the younger man was. It had been a year since Wolf boarded the Nathan James and began working side-by-side with these men, joining the mission to spread the cure, often under the toughest of conditions. And while he respected and even admired every one of them, Wolf had a soft spot for Rick. Whether it was due to Rick's age (he was by far the youngest of the group), his gullibility (the reason he was so often the butt of the team's jokes), the fact that Rick had been the first of the tight-knit group to open up to Wolf (even giving him a nickname), or simply because Wolf was missing his own family, Wolf had grown to see the man like a younger brother.

"Remember the XO's face whenever he saw that monkey in Doctor Scott's lab?" Rick interjected, earning a cackle from Tex.

"Wish I had seen his expression when he figured out what he was eating," Tex joked back.

"At least the XO didn't puke. Cossetti tossed his cookies over that turtle we caught off Serrana Bank," Cruz noted.

As the conversation continued to focus on meals that Wolf had (thankfully) missed, people he had never met (Cossetti), and events that pre-dated his arrival on the Nathan James, Wolf let the words roll over him. While the Nathan James had been in the Caribbean Sea working on a cure and, apparently, eating monkey and turtle, Wolf had been with Ravit, struggling to survive in their own unfamiliar environment. The Virginia woods.

Past

Wolf hiked over the final hill to the beta meeting spot. The commander at Little Creek had given orders for anyone not exposed to the virus to rendezvous at this location if the base was compromised, and Wolf had spent the last two days traveling here via a particularly circuitous route in order to avoid populated areas. Wolf donned his gas mask as he slipped through the trees, watching carefully for any telltale signs of red to indicate that the area was contaminated. Although the virus appeared to require close physical proximity to an infected person or the recently deceased, the rapid nature of its spread meant that Wolf was not willing to take any chances.

But, to his shock – and unease – the clearing was empty.

Pulling out the map that he had snagged from his hotel lobby the morning before the world went to hell, Wolf estimated his position. The map was far from ideal, one of those designed for tourists and highlighting, in large black font, various places of interest (mostly Civil War battlefields). Wolf had taken the map only out of politeness to the teenager manning the desk, but it had been a fortuitous choice. Wolf had been at the creek which was serving as a make-shift bath for the camp when the alarm went off, indicating that quarantine had been broken and someone on the base was infected. Unwilling to risk returning to his assigned berth for his equipment – including his compass – Wolf had left with only what he had on hand. By a stroke of luck, that included the map he had stuck in his pocket and promptly forgotten.

Examining the now well worn map, Wolf could make out enough landmarks to be certain that he was in the correct place. He had moved quickly, sleeping little and eating only what he was carrying. Perhaps others had been more cautious, taking a longer route or stopping to forage for food or to sleep. Mind made up, Wolf found himself a perch in an ideally positioned tree and set out to wait.

It was another day before anyone else arrived.

Wolf had been dozing, three days of cat-naps on top of weeks of sleeping no more than four hours at a time catching up with him, when the snap of a twig woke him. Wolf quickly ascertained that the noise came from a person and not an animal, likely a soldier given how quietly the person was moving through the forest. Wolf slid on his mask, waiting until the figure in a green uniform, also masked, entered the clearing before dropping down from his perch.

"Wolf Taylor. Royal Australian Navy. You?"

"Lieutenant Ravit Bivas. Israeli Defense Forces," came the response from a clearly female voice. "Are you the lookout?"

"Actually, we are the first ones here," Wolf replied, wishing he could see her face, gauge her response as the fact that they were alone in a strange wilderness sank in. But if had expected the news that nobody else had yet arrived to shake Lieutenant Bivas, he was mistaken.

Ravit pulled off her mask and shook out her mass of brown curls. "Guess I don't need this then. You have anything to eat?

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wolf and Ravit had spent a week at the clearing, refusing to give up hope that there might be other survivors from Little Creek. Each night they had turned on the radio that Ravit had been carrying when word went out to evacuate the base, but there had been no response to their hails.

During that week they had learned everything, and yet nothing, about each other.

Wolf had learned that Ravit could set animal snares and they were soon enjoying roasted rabbit.

Ravit had learned that Wolf could navigate entirely by the stars, his sense of direction uncannily accurate even in a foreign country.

Both had learned that the other was a crack shot, and that neither was a risk taker. They had come to trust each other with their lives – one sleeping while the other stood watch – but Wolf had learned nothing about Ravit's past, about her family, about her life. Not until their last night at the clearing. They had agreed that it was time to move on, to find a place to hole up and gather supplies, preparing for the quickly approaching winter, but the decision had been difficult and both had been quieter than usual all evening.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"How many people did you come with?"

Moderately surprised by the personal nature of the question, the first time that Ravit had mentioned anything that did not concern their immediate survival, Wolf hesitated before responding. "Twelve."

"Israel sent ten. Five never made it to the original safe zone. They just disappeared."

"Maybe they holed up somewhere," Wolf offered.

Ravit gave him a look, one that made it clear she would not be patronized. "One of the guys was from Tel Aviv like me. He got in touch with a mutual friend there, just before all communication went down. The flu hit the city hard. My parents, my brothers, none of them made it."

"At least you know," Wolf said quietly.

"You never got through?"

"No." Wolf paused. "I told myself it was a good thing. My family was near Sydney, which got hit hard. But my brothers spent time in the Outback. They could survive there. I keep hoping that they got out in time, took my mum and sister, and that's why I couldn't reach them."

Ravit nodded. "We'll go there someday. You and me. We'll find them together."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

The men grew quiet as they began passing houses clustered close together, indicating that they had reached the outskirts of Dayton. Teylor drove steadily towards their destination, the silence broken only by the occasional direction from Rick. The sky was just growing dark and Wolf could see glimmers of light in several of the homes along the street, either from generators or candles.

They pulled up before number 136, a neat white house with green shutters and a candle burning in the front window, as though set out deliberately to guide someone home.

Rick sat motionless, his eyes glued on the house until Danny approached from the rear vehicle and knocked on the window, probably to ask what they were doing.

"Do you want me to check it out, mate?" Wolf asked quietly.

Rick nodded jerkily. "Thanks Wolfman."

Leaving Tex to explain the situation to Danny, Wolf approached the door, Teylor a step behind, both of their weapons lowered so as not to appear threatening. Wolf's fist descended solidly on the door as he used what little faith he had left to pray that Barbara Miller would be the one opening the door.

 


	7. Kara Foster Green

 

Kara sat straight up in bed, heart pounding, woken by the sound of Halsey's sharp bark. She knew instantly that something wasn't right. Halsey was too well trained and too used to people coming and going from the house at all hours, due to Caroline Green's work on the graveyard shift and the erratic schedule of the TAC team (who had made the Green residence their unofficial base of operations), to raise the alarm unnecessarily. Kara checked the clock. 0500. Far too early for an innocent social call and if it were work related someone should have contacted her by radio. Besides, Halsey knew both the Admiral and the Commander (the people most likely to show up unannounced at their door at an odd hour) and would not have reacted this way.

Grabbing her gun and radio, Kara headed out to the hall. She had to assume the worst. "This is Lieutenant Kara Green reporting possible intruders. Any reason why someone might be at my door?"

The response from base was immediate, but not reassuring. As Kara had assumed, the visitors were not there on official business. Unfortunately it would take anyone from the base at least ten minutes to reach the house. Ten long minutes while Kara was here alone with a teenager, an invalid, and an infant.

Kara's throat tightened, memories of Baltimore assaulting her. The helplessness, the terror, the desperation she felt as she was hauled into the examination room and pinned to that table. If the lights had stayed on a moment longer, if the nurse hadn't released her wrist, if Tex wasn't there...Kara's entire life would be different right now. If she was even alive at all. Kara fought back the panic. This time was different. This time she had a gun. She had Halsey. Backup was on the way. But even with all of that…

God she wished that Danny was here right now.

A sound to her left captured Kara's attention. Eighteen-year-old Christopher Green stood in the doorway to his room, his look of sleepy confusion disappearing the second that he caught sight of the gun in her hand. Kara straightened. Chris might look terrified, but he wasn't helpless. He had survived months in a safe zone before he and his mother made their way to Norfolk. Moreover, in the past few weeks Chris had been joining Danny – either willingly or unwillingly – at the training sessions Danny was running and he presumably he had learned a thing or two.

She wasn't alone. Chris could help her. He just needed some direction.

Kara's radio crackled to life. "This is patrol. On our way to your position now, ma'am. ETA is seven minutes."

Kara spoke as she began her descent down the stairs. "Chris, I need you to get Frankie. Take the baby and your mom to Caro's room. Lock the door behind you. If I give the signal or you hear gunshots, I need you to get all three of you out the window. Go to Eddie's house. You'll be safe there."

Kara approached the front door from the side, making sure to stay behind Halsey. As tempted as she was to check to the peephole, Kara knew better than to stand directly in front of the door. She held out her hand to Halsey and the dog quieted, although he remained on alert, completely focused on the person – or people – on the other side of the door.

"Who's there?"

The response was immediate. A man's sharp voice sounded. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"

Kara sucked in a breath. Ensign Zack Johnson had assured her that the owners of this house had died at the hospital. And that was not the kind of thing that Johnson would have screwed up – not when it related to his idol Lieutenant Danny Green. Kara checked the hall behind her, confirming that Chris had successfully moved Frankie and Joanne into Caro's room, which was at the back of the house and therefore furthest from the front door and the potential threat. She could hear Frankie fussing, likely unhappy that her sleep had been interrupted, but tuned out the sound.

"Pretty sure you have the wrong house, mister. Think you should move along."

"Is that a baby?"

Without Halsey's barking to block out the noise, Frankie's growing hysterics must be audible outside. Kara cursed silently. Having a baby made her vulnerable and she hadn't planned on giving this man any advantage.

"How about you open the door and we talk about this?" The man continued, his voice softer, more reasonable. He didn't sound particularly threatening but Kara knew better than to make any assumptions, especially as she still wasn't sure whether he was alone.

"How about you go on your way and we can talk about all of this in the morning?" Kara replied.

"Sounds reasonable to me," a new voice added. Kara gave an internal sigh of relief as she recognized the clipped tone of Eddie Ward, Danny's childhood friend, who had recently moved in across the street.

"Although before you go, I would like to see some identification." Admiral Tom Chandler's voice, unmistakable in the early morning calm, provided added reassurance. Even Halsey seemed to relax at the authoritative voice.

"What the..."

Whatever the man has been about to say was cut off with a scuffling sound.

"Ward, check the back of the house. Foster, stay where you are until we clear the property."

After letting Chris know that backup had arrived, Kara waited by the door, gun still at the ready. Less than ten minutes had passed before there was another knock at the door.

"We're clear," Admiral Chandler said.

Kara opened the door to reveal not just the Admiral and Eddie, but also Commander Slattery and two armed man – presumably the patrol responding to her request for assistance. Although Kara was slightly embarrassed that her radio call had resulted in both of her commanding officers appearing on her doorstep, she couldn't help but appreciate the benefits of living on this particular block.

Kara could tell that the men had all rolled out of bed. Eddie and Admiral Chandler wore only sweatpants, and Eddie was barefoot despite the snow that blanketed the ground. Kara could not help but notice the ugly red scars that ran across Eddie's back and chest, the result of a car bomb in Afghanistan that had killed several fellow Marines and put Eddie in the hospital for months, his survival the fortuitous combination of having been facing away from the blast and a medical chopper being only minutes away.

Kara spared only a glance for the two men who were now sitting on the cold porch, hands tied behind their backs as Slattery checked their pockets for identification. Kara figured that the Admiral and Eddie must be freezing, given their lack of attire, and even Slattery was shivering slightly.

"Thank you all for coming so quickly," Kara said. "Coffee, anyone?"

There was no argument as the men moved in the direction of the kitchen. As Eddie passed her, Kara touched his arm. "Do you need to get Tyler?"

"No, I, uh," Eddie's face took on a pink tinge, "I had someone over. She can watch him."

Kara gaped at him. Eddie was seeing someone? As far as she knew, Eddie's only serious relationship had been with his wife, Amber, and he had been devastated by her death from the virus. Danny had casually dropped a comment one time suggesting that Eddie had never slept with anyone else – ever. That made sense since Amber and Eddie started dating as freshmen in college, but it also suggested that Eddie wasn't the type to hook up with a stranger. And he certainly wasn't the type of trust a stranger with his toddler son.

Which meant that Kara probably knew the woman.

She barely resisted the urge to demand details. Popping her head out the door, Kara waved a hand in the direction of Eddie's house and thought she saw a curtain flutter in response. Now that the immediate danger had passed, Kara realized that she was dressed fairly skimpily herself in a nursing tee and some of Danny's sweats. She snagged a hoodie from the hall closet and pulled it over her head as she made her way to the kitchen to start the coffee. One of Danny's, it hung almost to her knees.

After setting the coffee, Kara took a few minutes to collect and calm Frankie before returning to the kitchen where the three men were sitting and warming up, Chris having joined them while Kara fed the baby and brought her mother-in-law up to speed. Eddie had obviously raided the closet and was now wearing a pair of slippers and a ragged Navy sweatshirt.

"Give me a run-down of what happened this morning," Slattery directed as Kara sat, Halsey curled up by her feet. She quickly gave him a summary of the morning's events, Chris nodding along and making an occasional remark.

"Once base got your message they alerted Tom and me," Slattery explained. He smirked at Admiral Chandler. "Ward here is apparently an ambulance chaser."

"Halsey woke me up," Eddie said. "When I went to look, I could see a strange car outside and figured I should check it out."

"Glad you did," Slattery replied sincerely. He touched his radio. "Bring the suspects in. I want to talk to them."

As the officers directed the two men into kitchen chairs, Kara got her first good look at them. Both were subdued, although one of the men kept looking around the room, his expression vacillating between confusion, anger, and sorrow. When the man's eyes shifted to Kara, Halsey responded with a low growl. The man looked vaguely familiar and Kara struggled to place him. Suddenly it clicked.

"I recognize him," Kara said, pointing to the stranger. Everyone looked at her. "From pictures. He was related to the former owners."

The man looked up quickly, his expression hopeful. "This was my parents' home. The Shaws. Do you know where they are?"

Kara closed her eyes, her anger at him for the panic he had caused this morning seeping out of her. This man was doing the same thing that Carlton and Rick and Alisha were doing right now. He was looking for his family. Hoping against hope that they had somehow survived.

Hope that Kara was about to shatter.

Kara took a deep breath. She couldn't give him the news that he was hoping for, but at least Kara could provide him with some closure.

"I am so very sorry. Your parents are dead."

 


	8. Erik (Rick) Miller

Rick had known the moment that they pulled up to the house.

He wasn't sure why he had been so certain. Whether it was because the car parked outside the house was unfamiliar or because the curtains in the windows looked all wrong or because the driveway was actually shoveled, but Rick had known that his mother would not be coming to the door.

And he was right.

It was not Barbara Miller who had answered Wolf's knock, but instead a man in his fifties, stout with gray hair and glasses. He had been suspicious at first, barely cracking the door, but as Wolf explained who they were and why they were there, his expression had softened. It had been the final confirmation as far as Rick was concerned. He had known long before Wolf and Teylor returned to the jeep that his mother was not in the house.

The man's name was Lee Clark and he and his family had moved in a few months before. Once the cure had arrived, the remaining local government had consolidated survivors into a few neighborhoods to allow for the more efficient distribution of supplies. The Clarks had been assigned to this house. They had no idea what had happened to the former occupant.

Rick hadn't been surprised by the news at all.

The guys liked to joke that he was an eternal optimist. And it was partially true. Rick did prefer to focus on the good, on the positive. But that didn't mean he was stupid. He had known the score months ago. He had known that the chance of his mother surviving was slim.

Not that knowing the odds had made today any easier.

Rick rolled over in his sleeping bag, checking his watch. 0230. Hours before he could reasonably get up for the day. Although the inhabitants of the house had, somewhat cautiously, offered to allow them to stay in the garage, Danny and Carlton had declined the invitation and the group had instead made camp in a large barn on the outskirts of town. Wolf had offered to sit up with him, but Rick had declined, claiming to be exhausted. And he was. But that didn't mean he could sleep. Instead, all he could do was think about his mother.

"Why are we here?"

Ten year old Rick was puzzled. It was one of his mother's rare days off, a time usually dedicated to special outings. But today Barbara had driven them to the local watershed. Off limits for swimming and boating and fishing, about the only thing to do here was walk around the lake. Boring!

Barbara smiled, a real smile rather than the one she used when she was putting on a good face. Even at ten Rick could tell the difference. The fake smile meant that Barbara would be skipping the next meal, insisting that she wasn't hungry even though Rick could hear her stomach growing. The fake smile meant that the new clothes that she bought Rick had come from the Salvation Army, purchased three towns away so as to not be recognized. The fake smile meant that his father had cancelled another visit, too busy with his new family to care about the one that he left behind.

"I have something for you," Barbara said, pulling a package from the basket she was carrying.

Rick gasped as he recognized the store label. Could it be the remote controlled airplane he had been pining after for weeks, not wanting to ask, knowing how expensive it was?

"What is it?"

"It's a kite!" Barbara exclaimed, pulling it out of the bag. "I saw you staring at it at Mr. Fiske's store and I had a little extra grocery money this week so I bought it. I knew you would love it!"

Rick stared at the kite in utter disappointment. It was a Superman kite. Something that he would have loved when he was five. If the other kids saw him with this kite they would think that he was a baby! Rick opened his mouth to tell his mother to take it back, that he didn't want it, but as soon as Rick raised his head the expression on his mother's face stopped him. When was the last time that he saw her this happy?

Rick grinned at his mother. "Bet I can get it higher than you!"

Barbara's laughter echoed through Rick's memory. It had been a good day. One of too few for Barbara, who had never had an easy life and had probably had a worse death. Rick wondered where she had been, at the end. If she had been at the house or the hospital or wandering the streets. Whether she had tried to reach him or whether she had cursed him for leaving her alone, just like his father had.

Curling into his sleeping bag, Rick pulled his pillow over his face to muffle his sobs.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rick sat on the edge of the bed. His bed. In his room. Or, rather, it had been once up in a time. Now the room bore evidence of its new inhabitant everywhere (the dresses hanging in the closet were definitely not his). But traces of the room that Rick had grown up in remained. The Navy poster on the wall, the framed picture of Rick and his mother at his high school graduation on the top of the dusty bookcase, the ammo box filled with odds and ends that he had saved over the years.

"Erik?" The petite blond woman hovering in the doorway looked vaguely familiar. "I'm Nicole Clark. You may not remember but we went to high school together. I was two years behind you."

Now that she had told him who she was, Rick instantly placed her. "You played soccer, right?"

She smiled. "Just JV. I wasn't all that good. Not like you."

Rick thought about the team pictures sitting in his ammo box. There had been a time when soccer had been the most important thing in his life, when he had dreamed about playing college and even going pro someday. His mother had been the one to bring him back to reality, sitting him down at the kitchen table one weekend to go over the finances. The small child support payment that Barbara received from Rick's father ended on his 18th birthday, and Barbara's income alone barely payed the bills. There was no extra cash available for college and any hope Rick had of winning a soccer scholarship had been quickly dashed. Even as the star player, his small high school hadn't rated any attention. So Rick had considered his options and when the Navy came calling, he had signed up, determined to find a way to make his mother's life a little easier. Rick still remembered her expression when she arrived home to see the new vacuum he had bought her with his enlistment bonus - one of the fancy kinds with about a hundred attachments.

He smiled at Nicole. "What are you holding?"

"Oh, these are some photo albums that we found. My mother thought you might want them." Nicole sat down next to Rick on the bed, setting the albums between them. "I put all your stuff in the bottom drawer of the bureau. It felt weird throwing it away."

"Thanks." Rick could feel his face burning as he tried to remember exactly what he had left here that she might have found. Had there been Victoria Secret magazines in the closet?

"I'm sorry about your mother," Nicole said softly.

"Were you here? When the flu hit?" Rick asked. "In Dayton, I mean."

"I was at school in Massachusetts. My dad came to get me and we went to my grandparents' farm an hour south of here. We stayed there until we heard about the cure over the radio. That's when we moved back to Dayton. I heard that Boston was hit hard."

A college girl, then, way out of his league. Embarrassed by the random thought, Rick spoke without thinking. "We were in Massachusetts. Things there were bad."

"They were everywhere," Nicole agreed solemnly.

"Not like Massachusetts. That was...different." Rick hoped she wouldn't ask for more details, wishing he hadn't said anything.

"Your ship, the Nathan James, that was the ship that discovered the cure, wasn't it?"

"Yeah."

"That makes you a hero." Nicole smiled at him from her perch on the bed only feet away.

Rick felt his cheeks burning. "Nah. That was all Doctor Scott. She's amazing. Maybe I can introduce you to her someday."

"I'd like that." Nicole was silent for a moment before gesturing to the photo albums. "I took a peak to see what these were and I saw some pictures from high school. I'd love to have you show them to me."

A few minutes of fumbling later, Nicole was seated next to Rick on the bed, their knees touching as they balanced the photo album between them, laughing over a picture of a mutual friend doing a headstand.

"Hey Miller, Tex found some of that shitty coffee you like so much..." Teylor stopped short in the doorway, his gaze flitting back and forth between Rick and Nicole.

Rick jumped to his feet, almost dropping the photo album in the process. "Teylor. Hey. Um, so what are you up to?"

Nicole shot him a puzzled look as she stood as well. "I guess I should get going. Let me know if you need anything, Erik."

Teylor quirked an eyebrow as he passed one cup to Rick and took a sip of his own coffee. "What do you know. Apparently not everything from Dayton sucks."


	9. Ken (Tex) Nolan

Tex could tell straight away that something had happened. Danny and Carlton were supposed to be making a routine check in with the base in Norfolk, but their body posture was not the relaxed, half joking manner that usually marked these calls. Instead both men stood tensely, completely focused on the information being relayed over the radio. Danny in particular seemed agitated and, as Tex drew closer, he noticed that Carlton had laid a hand on the other man's shoulder.

Which meant ten to one that the problem was with Kara or Frankie.

Tex could hear Slattery speaking, which was both surprising (as Mike was now chief of police for Norfolk and therefore technically not military) and concerning. "Nothing to worry about Green. Ward is going to camp out at the house until you are back and we are keeping an eye on your visitors. Hold on, we're attempting to patch Foster in now."

"You've been gone three days and your wife is already replacing you?" Tex teased as he passed over the travel mugs full of coffee that he had come to deliver.

"Some jackhole tried to break into my house," Danny snapped.

Tex's insides turned to ice at Danny's words. That was what had happened to Claire. She had gone downstairs to investigate a noise, and found herself face-to-face with a gang of armed intruders. She had never stood a chance, her last breath spent calling out a warning to Kat that probably saved the teenager's life. Tex's stomach churned, as it always did when he thought of Claire. Things might have been strained between them at the end, but she had been a good person, a good mother. She hadn't deserved to die.

_Eight Years Ago_

_Tex walked off the plane into the blistering Florida heat. Crossing the tarmac he could see the people milling around the viewing area of the small airport. There had been several soldiers on his flight, all returning from tours in the Middle East, and the window was plastered with welcome home signs._

_Welcome home Daddy! Love Max_

_I love my marine!_

_Next mission = kiss me!_

_Once upon a time Claire would have made a sign like that for him. Once upon a time he would have rushed to be the first person off the flight and into the building. Once upon a time Claire would have thrown herself into his arms and given him a fervent kiss._

_How things had changed._

_This time Tex dawdled, dropping back to the end of the line, waiting until the first round of screaming and hugging and kissing was done before he entered. As Tex's eyes adjusted to the interior lights, he scanned the terminal. Claire_ _stood to a side of the large room, her arms wrapped protectively around seven-year-old Kathleen._

_Tex paused, staring at the little girl who he barely recognized as his own. Over the last year she must have shot up three inches and her golden curls had turned into a dirty blonde mop. At the moment it was caught up in thick braids slung over her shoulders. She held a familiar teddy bear wrapped in her arms. Tex had given it to her the night before he left. His tension eased somewhat as he realized that she had kept it and, if the worn appearance was anything to go by, loved it._

_He approached slowly, returning Claire's cool nod before kneeling in front of his daughter. "Hi Katie."_

_She gazed at him uncertainly. "Daddy?"_

_At that word, his heart shattered in a way that it never had before. It hurt more than Claire asking for a divorce. It hurt more than saying goodbye to Katie the night before he left for this year-long assignment. It hurt more than going to sleep thousands of miles away from his little girl. Because as Katie said the single word, Tex realized that his daughter wasn't sure who he was._

" _Katie, can you show Daddy what we got for him?" Claire's voice was calm, soothing, and Tex wasn't sure whether it was for Katie's benefit, or his._

_Katie smiled tumultuously as she pulled a gold locket out of a small bag. "It's a locket, Daddy. Like in Annie! Mommy took me to pick it out and we put my picture inside so that you could see it every day and that way you won't forget what I look like."_

_Tex pressed a kiss on Katie's forehead as he folded the necklace into his palm._ " _Thank you, baby. I love it."_

_Tex took a minute to compose himself, to blink away the tears, before he met Claire's eyes. Claire might not have made him a sign or given him a kiss, but she had still given him the best coming home gift ever. Katie._

" _Thank you for being here."_

_Claire nodded. "We wouldn't be anywhere else."_

Present

"Are Kara and Frankie okay?" Tex asked softly, all teasing gone, his voice dead serious.

"Just shaken up," Carlton answered the question when it became clear that Danny was not going to respond, his attention completely focused on the radio. Tex understood how the man felt.

Kara had always reminded Tex a little of Claire. Not in any obvious way. The two women looked nothing alike. Kat got her blond locks from her mother, and unlike Kara, Claire had been a teacher back when Tex met her, moonlighting as a waitress to make ends. But the way that Kara looked at Danny, the way she understood him intuitively, the way she settled him just by being near. That was what made Tex think of Claire.

Tex couldn't save Claire. But at least he had been able to save Kara.

_A Year Ago - Baltimore_

" _I heard you went with Lieutenant Green to the Granderson compound this morning," Master Chief Russ Jeter observed as he stopped next to Tex. The two men stood beside the rail as the Nathan James moved away from shore. They weren't leaving Baltimore – not yet anyway – but both the Captain and the XO had felt the need to put a little more space between the ship and the shore._

_Tex shrugged. "Told him that it was a stupid thing to do but the man could not be swayed. Said he promised Kara that he would find that nurse. Figured it would give him something to do, at least, maybe take his mind off what happened."_

" _Better you than some of the other guys," Jeter replied. "People did not take the news well."_

_Tex acknowledged that with a curt nod. Despite learning about the pregnancy only days before their arrival in Baltimore, Danny and Kara's baby had come to represent hope for many of the crew. Hope that things would get better. Hope that the world would recover. Hope that someday things would be normal again._

_After the crew retook the Nathan James, Commander Garnett had done a headcount of both the living and the dead. Once it became apparent that Kara had been the only person removed from the ship by Lieutenant Norris, it didn't take a genius to figure out what separated her out from the crowd._ _By the time Tex had returned to the ship, the story of Kara's escape, and the role that Tex played, had already made the rounds and he had found himself the beneficiary of a large number of tokens of appreciation. But finding out that Kara and the baby were safe, that Kara had escaped before Doctor Hamada could carry out his grisly plan, had not eliminated the crew's anger over what Granderson and her people had planned to do. T _hat action, maybe more than anything else that she had done, had demonstrated just how warped Amy Granderson's morals had become.__

" _Does Alisha know what her mother ordered done?" Tex asked, even though he was dreading the answer._

_Jeter silently watched the rolling blue waves. "It's a small ship. Secrets rarely stay hidden long. I plan to ask Lieutenant Green to talk to her. If you see him, please pass along the message."_

_Tex decided not to tell Jeter that, other than to grab a change of clothes and ask Tex to take Halsey to the deck in the morning, Danny had not returned to their shared cabin since the incident. Tex figured that he could knock on Kara's door without too much suspicion. "I'll pass that along."_

" _How is he taking it?" Jeter asked._

" _Nothing turns a man into a father faster than seeing his kid in danger," Tex replied lightly._

" _True." Jeter turned to leave. "I hope you find her."_

" _Who?"_

" _The girl in the locket you carry." The Master Chief smiled at Tex's stunned face. "My girls loved Annie too."_

Present

"Danny?"

Carlton and Tex both stepped back at the sound of Kara's voice, allowing the two some privacy. Well, as much privacy as was possible given that there were probably twenty people at the Norfolk base listening to the conversation.

"Slattery said that the men never made it inside. Halsey went ballistic – woke Eddie up from a sound sleep across the street – and Kara called for reinforcements right away. The would-be intruders apparently got the living shit scared out of them when the Captain, XO, Ward, and a two-man patrol all responded to the request for assistance."

Tex nodded sharply. "Good."


	10. Carlton Burk

Carlton looked at Tex. "Green was supposed to go to the hospital with me to check the records, but he may be awhile. You want to ride along?"

Tex shrugged. "Beats sticking around here."

Carlton slid into the driver's seat before Tex could snag the coveted spot. He and Danny had already mapped out the locations of several nearby hospitals, as well as a few overflow sites that Mr. Clark had told them about. The task sounded simple – check the hospital records to see if one Barbara Miller had been admitted. Unfortunately, Carlton knew firsthand what searching the records meant.

And it was never simple.

_A Year Ago - Norfolk_

" _Please let us clear the building first, ma'am." Carlton urged as the convoy rolled to a stop before St. Vincent's Hospital, although he doubted that the Commander would listen. She certainly had not been willing to wait when they reached her house two hours before._

_But to his surprise, Commander Garnett agreed. Carlton took point as they entered the four story building, which had once been painted a clean, sterile white and was now encrusted with the bodily fluids of thousands of dead. Bodies filled the waiting room and lined the corridors, the hospital rooms overflowing with corpses already half decomposed, the stench almost unbearable. A choking sound alerted Carlton to a problem just before Walker lost his breakfast all over the floor._

" _Sorry, sir, it's the smell," the man said, gagging, before retching again._

" _Gonzalez, get Walker out of here," Carlton ordered._

" _Guess the masks were good for something after all. They blocked out the smell," Cruz observed. As though anything could have made the scene before them bearable._

" _Once we clear the building we'll figure out what to do with the bodies," Carlton replied, hoping that the promise of a somewhat proper burial would allow the rest of the team to push through the horror before them._

_As the words came out of his mouth, images from the Baltimore power plant engulfed Carlton. Pushing open another door – only to be faced with another pile of corpses – Carlton couldn't help but wonder why Amy Granderson had needed to go to such extremes. Weren't there already enough plenty of dead bodies to burn? Couldn't they have simply waited for the virus to finish its quick and lethal work? What had driven her to take that final step to become a mass murderer?_

_As anticipated, the building contained no physical threat, merely more devastation. The most horrifying was the Pediatric Ward. Carlton had seen death before. He had even caused it. But nothing had prepared him for the sight of those tiny bodies, the infants still in their incubators or, in some cases, clasped tightly in the arms of parents who had been unwilling to be parted even in death._

_Carlton sent up a silent prayer of thanks (to a God who he no longer believed in) that Danny and Kara were not here. After Baltimore, the last thing that either of them needed to see was a dead child._

_As Cruz coordinated the arduous task of clearing the waiting room of bodies, Carlton escorted Commander Garnett to the front desk where death certificates sat in towering piles. Pulling out the list of missing family members, Carlton set it on the counter between them, as though the names were not already burned into his memory. As he flipped through the pages one by one, Carlton couldn't help but notice how the surnames came in batches._

_Allison March, 38. Kenneth March, 37. Julian March, 4. Ella Marsh, 2. Elliot Speier, 57. Jonathan Speier, 24. Jennifer Speier, 21._

_And on and on and on. Family after family wiped out. Nobody left to mourn them. Nobody left to bury them. God, for all he knew some of the bodies here at St. Vincent's were people that he, or someone on the Nathan James, knew. Maybe even some of their families. They couldn't leave the bodies here to rot, but there were too many to bury. A quick call to the ship determined that there was a funeral home a block away with a crematorium, and Lieutenant Chung was dispatched to get the facility running._

_A weight lifted off of Carlton's chest. They were not like Amy Granderson. They would give these people the respect they deserved._

_Carlton wasn't sure how much time had passed before he realized that Commander Garnett had stopped flipping pages, sitting frozen, her breathing shallow and irregular. A glance at the sheet before her instantly explained why._

_Lillian Garnett, 10._

_William Garnett, 52._

_Oddly the first thing that occurred to Carlton as he looked at the single sheet of paper that had destroyed Andrea Garnett's life was that Garnett's husband was quite a bit older than she was._

" _Ma'am, I think you should head back to the ship. We can finish up here."_

_Andrea Garnett turned to Carlton with dazed eyes, as though she had forgotten about his presence. A tear slid down Garnett's cheek but she made no move to brush it away. When she finally spoke her voice was hollow. "We need to finish going through the paperwork, looking for the crew's families…."_

" _I can do it, ma'am. With Chung off the ship we should have someone there to deal with the repairs anyway. I'll let the Captain know that you are on your way back."_

Present

As they entered Ward Hospital, the third stop on their list, Carlton immediately noticed the lack of bodies. In fact, this hospital appeared to be operational, judging by the waiting room full of (living) people and the woman at the front desk shuffling paper. The guard at the door nodded politely to Carlton and Tex, although he closely tracked their movement as the two men wound their way through the maze of chairs to the front of the large room.

"Good morning, darling," Tex drawled, laying on the charm as he leaned against the counter, glancing down at her nametag. "Michelle. Well aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

Predictably, Michelle giggled. Carlton barely restrained the urge to roll his eyes. Tex could charm the knickers off a nun. "What can I help you with, Mr…?"

"Call me Tex." Tex winked, holding out his hand. "We're here in Dayton helping a friend track down his mother. A woman named Barbara Miller. Any chance that you can help us?"

Michelle giggled again. "Of course, Mr. … Tex. You are actually in luck. We got the computer systems up and running last week so we don't have to rely on the paper files anymore. It cuts down the search time significantly. What was your friend's name again?"

Carlton gazed around the waiting room absently as Tex rattled off Mrs. Miller's name, date of birth, and last known residence. People were waiting calmly, no moaning or wailing as there had been at Olympia. Nurses and doctors were bustling in and out of the room as they moved patients to the back. A few children played quietly with a train table in the corner. If it wasn't for the fact that Michelle was currently checking a death registry, Carlton would almost have believed that the Red Flu never touched this place.

"I found her. My condolences." Michelle's voice was subdued. She clicked a button and a printer whirled to life. She held the two pieces of paper out, her hand quivering. Carlton's hand was rock solid as he took the sheets. Not because he didn't care, but because he had been expecting this. They all had. Even Rick.

The first document was a death certificate. The second was the hospital record from Mrs. Miller's final admission.

_Barbara A. Miller. 49-year old female. Admitted 8-2-2014 at 2:22 p.m. with breathing difficulties. Lost consciousness shortly thereafter. Assumed influenza H6N2. Morphine drip administered 8-2-2014 at 11:36 p.m. Unable to reach emergency contact. Deceased on 8-4-2014 at 1:13 a.m. Body incinerated per Emergency Regulation 432.1617._

So that was it. The last moments of a woman's life reduced to a few succinct statements on a piece of paper. Carlton knew that they were lucky to even have that much. To have confirmation that Mrs. Miller had died. To know that her body had been cremated and was not, like so many others, rotting where she died. To know that someone had eased her pain at the end.

But Carlton also knew that Rick would not focus on any of that. All Rick would see was a single sentence – _Unable to reach emergency contact_. Because, while his mother had been dying and unable to reach him, Rick had been safe and sound on the Nathan James, probably playing a card game with the guys.

"Sometimes I think that I was one of the lucky ones," Carlton said wearily as he started the jeep. Tex gave him a quizzical look.

"How so?"

"With Ravit." Carlton cleared his throat. "At least I got to say goodbye."


	11. Danny Green

"I didn't really spend any time with Smith." Carlton spoke, breaking the silence. "Other than losing to him at poker, which doesn't count. That guy cleaned out everyone."

Danny chuckled. "The quiet ones always get you."

"I don't recall you warning us, either," Carlton said pointedly. "Seriously, though, I'm not sure I heard the guy say more than two words up in the arctic."

"That's the way Jason was. Super quiet. Introverted. But once you got to know him he had a lot to say," Danny replied, before silently adding: _The kind of guy that you don't really notice is there, until he isn't there anymore, and you realize just how much you relied on him._

_Two years ago - Bahamas_

" _Are you still sleeping?" Danny demanded as he yanked open the curtains to their hotel room. "Our tee time is in thirty minutes."_

_Frankie groaned. "Did you forget that this is our vacation? Why exactly are we getting up at the crack of dawn."_

" _Nine am is not the crack of dawn," Danny argued._

" _Why are you here anyway," Frankie muttered. "Thought you were spending the night at Blondie's place."_

_Blondie, aka Dianne, was a girl who Danny had met at the resort pool upon their arrival here four days ago and had seen regularly since. Twenty-three, she and her friends were here to celebrate their college graduation. Talking to them Danny sometimes felt a thousand years old. "Nothing happened. We're meeting her and her friends for drinks later."_

_Frankie sat straight up in bed. "Please tell me that you finally had sex with her because oh my god have you been a pain in the ass. The only reason we let you come on this trip was so that you would get laid and chillax."_

_Danny shrugged awkwardly, unwilling to admit what had happened last night. The problem wasn't with Dianne. It was with him. "I think she just looks too much like Rebec…"_

" _Gah! You aren't allowed to say her name!" Frankie shrieked as he jumped out of bed._

" _Stop screaming like a girl, Benz, and go take a shower," Jason interjected. "You owe us a round, Green. You said her name."_

_Danny scowled at Jason. "Seriously? What kind of friends are you two?"_

_"Good ones_." _Jason ignored Danny's sulking as he walked across the room and cracked two beers, passing one to Danny. "You agreed to the rules. Mention the ex-girlfriend and buy us a round. Although I'll give you a pass for the next three minutes while Benz is warming up the shower for me."_

_Danny threw himself onto Frankie's bed, ignoring the fact that it smelled like stale beer and feet._

" _I almost called Dianne the wrong name," Danny admitted. "We were at her place going at it and for a moment I forgot who I was with. God, it feels like I'm cheating."_

" _You and the Rebecca were together a long time. Singles life is going to take some adjusting. But you'll get the hang of it, start taking advantage of the benefits."_

" _Like you do?" Danny challenged. Jason's lack of a social life was a running joke within the team. As far as Danny knew, the man had never had a girlfriend – ever. If he didn't know for certain that Jason occasionally entertained female company overnight, he would have thought that the guy was gay. In reality he was just kind of a loner._

_Jason let the taunt roll over him. "Relationships are pointless. Why would I want a girl around messing with my stuff and getting all pissy when I ship out?"_

" _Rebecca is a good person, you know."_

" _Of course she is. Nobody said otherwise."_

_Danny began pacing the room. "What if I made a mistake, Jay? What if I totally screwed up breaking things off?"_

_Jason shrugged as he sipped his beer. "Nothing stopping you from calling her and patching things up."_

_Danny stopped to glare at the other man. "You and Frankie threatened to flush my phone if you caught me talking to Rebecca."_

" _You once managed to take all of the screws out of Benz's bed without him noticing," Jason pointed out. "Pretty sure you could make a phone call without getting caught."_

_The image of Frankie flat on his ass after his bed collapsed when he tried to sit down had Danny grinning. That particular prank had taken some effort, but it had been well worth it._

_Jason wasn't done talking, though. "Look, Danny, if you want to screw up your life by marrying the wrong girl, I'm happy to go to the wedding and drink the free booze. But I have a feeling that when you find the right girl, you won't spend two years dithering about whether to buy her an engagement ring."_

_Danny set down the phone that he had just picked up. Damn. Jason was right. There was a reason he had broken things off with Rebecca. Not that it made him feel any better._

_At that moment the shower turned off. Jason grinned and chugged his beer. "Your three minutes are up. I'll let you off the hook for the drink if you buy me breakfast. Emotional crap makes me hungry."_

Present

"Is that a road block?" Carlton demanded, voice incredulous.

"Looks like it," Danny replied. He slowed the jeep, noticing that Burk palmed his gun as the uniformed man approached.

"Morning gentlemen. I'm Officer Reilly with the Columbus Police Department. Welcome to our fair city. What's the purpose of your visit here?" Although Officer Reilly's voice was friendly, it also booked no argument.

"I'm looking for the Smith family – Donald and Marsha Smith and their daughters Brittany and Susanne," Danny replied, pulling out his military ID. He glanced past Officer Reilly at a second roadblock a bit down the road. "What's going on? You having an outbreak? We're carrying doses of the cure if you need some."

"No, sir, we managed to avoid infection here in Columbus for the most part. Lost a few good souls enforcing the quarantine, though."

Danny and Carlton exchanged glances. They had seen this before, towns that took a hard line approach to the quarantine, closing the town borders, becoming isolationists. While Danny could understand the rational, and it had undoubtedly saved lives, turning away families, children, the sick and elderly, took a heavy toll on those tasked to enforce the line. The second roadblock could have only one purpose – anyone failing to obey the "turn around" order would be prevented from reached Columbus by any means necessary. The only surprise here was that the roadblocks were still in effect.

The man squinted at Danny. "Says here that your name is Green. What's your business with the Smith family?"

Danny's jaw tightened. "I was their son's commanding officer. I am here to make a notification."

Officer Reilly's face turned somber as he returned Danny's credentials. "I'll radio ahead to let them know that you are coming. I don't know the Smith Family but someone at the station should be able to help you out." The man paused. "I was a marine myself, once upon a time. It's a good thing that you gentlemen are doing, letting them know in person. Lot of people here have loved ones missing. Hate to think that they might never know what happened."

An hour and an unnecessary detour to the fully functional police department later, Danny and Carlton pulled up before the light green two-story colonial with a wide wrap around porch. Danny had been here only once before, to attend the thirtieth birthday party that Jason's family had thrown for him despite Jason's insistence that he didn't want one, but Danny would have known the house anywhere. The image was burned into his brain, along with a hundred other memories of Jason, Steve and Frankie. As the jeep came to a stop, Danny recognized the man sitting on the porch.

Donald Smith. Jason's father.

Donald rose as Danny and Carlton exited the vehicle, Jason's flag tucked under Danny's arm, before turning towards the porch door. "Marsha, you should come out here."

Marsha, Jason's mother, appeared in the doorway, dishrag in her hands, only to stop short at the unfamiliar vehicle. Her face lit up for half a second when she caught sight of Danny, her eyes moving past him to the jeep behind, before understanding struck. Nobody else was exiting. Danny felt his chest compress as Marsha's legs crumpled beneath her, Donald catching his wife and easing her into the chair that he had just vacated.

Danny walked towards the couple, not breaking eye contact, until he stood face to face with Donald. He stretched out his arms to present them with the flag that he had carried since Gitmo.

"Mr. and Mrs. Smith, I am sorry to inform you that your son Jason Donald Smith was killed in the line of duty."

The silence stretched on and on and on until Donald finally moved, his hand reaching out to grip the flag. Danny didn't know what he expected. Perhaps for Donald to rage at him – the man that should have brought his son home alive. Or perhaps for Donald to turn and leave, to retreat into the house to grieve in private, shutting Danny out. But Donald did neither of those things.

Instead Donald set the flag down on the porch table and waved Danny towards the spare chair. "It's good to see you, son. Introduce us to your friend and tell us how you've been."

Before Danny realized it two hours had passed and he and Carlton were sitting at the kitchen eating chicken salad sandwiches with the entire family, the conversation focused on anything and everything except for Jason.

"This is delicious, ma'am. Seriously the best thing I have eaten since we left Norfolk," Carlton mumbled around a mouthful of chicken salad. "You should get the recipe for Kara, Danny."

"Kara?" Marsha asked.

Danny paused uncertainly. He had just informed these people that their son was dead, that Jason would never get married or have children (not that Jason had shown any inclination to do so while he was alive, but his parents had never given up hope). Mentioning Kara felt like an slight, giving the Smiths a glimpse of a future that Jason would never have. "My wife. I got married a while back. We have a little girl."

"I remember Jason saying that you had a long-term girlfriend," Marsha replied, nodding approvingly. "Not like Steven. That man was a dreadful flirt. That's why I told my girls to stay away from him. Do you have a picture of your little one?"

Danny pulled out his phone to find a picture of Frankie, ignoring the way that Brittany and Susanne exchanged glances. Danny was fairly certain that Susanne and Berchem had hooked up at Jason's birthday party but he wasn't going to point that out to Marsha any more than he was going to correct her misunderstanding about who he had married. "This is my daughter."

"She's beautiful," Marsha responded, a smile playing along the corners of her mouth. "So little. It must have been hard for you to leave her."

Danny cleared his throat, unwilling to entertain that train of thought, especially given what had happened during his absence. "We should get going. The rest of our team is in Dayton and we need to get back to them before nightfall."

Donald trailed them to the jeep, and Danny turned to the older man, holding out his hand. "Sir, if there is anything I can do to help you or your family, please let me know."

The man clasped Danny's hand, then stopped, staring at his house. "I didn't want to ask in front of the girls but … how did he die? Was it the Red Flu?"

_God_. The echo of his exchange with Jason and Steven echoed through Danny's head. _It's probably comments like that that led to your divorce._

"Have you heard of Doctor Rachel Scott?" Danny asked finally.

"Of course. She's the woman who discovered the cure to the Red Flu," Donald responded instantly.

"When we left Norfolk last year, Doctor Scott was on board the Nathan James. Our mission was to protect her. We were in Cuba for supplies when the Russians found us. They had us pinned down and demanded that we turn Doctor Scott over to them. Jay and Steve were killed helping us escape. Your son died a hero, Mr. Smith. Saving everyone on that ship. And by saving Doctor Scott, he helped save the world."

Tears gleamed in the older man's eyes as he shook Danny's hand again. "Thank you, Danny. Thank you for letting us know."

Danny hesitated. "I cannot tell you how sorry I am about Jason."

Donald swallowed. "I still have two of my children. I am damn thankful for that."

Ten minutes later, Carlton gazed out the jeep window as Columbus disappeared from sight. "You didn't want him to know what really happened."

"Jason was his son. He doesn't need to have nightmares about how he died."

"I shouldn't tell Rick, should I?"

"About what the hospital record says?" Danny asked, although he knew the answer already. "Nope. He's in enough pain. He doesn't need any more."


	12. Teylor Cruz

"She likes you." Teylor nodded towards the porch where Nicole stood chatting with a curious neighbor who had come by to "check" on the Clark family and ask about the strange young men who had been visiting for the last two days. Rick had not recognized the woman. In fact, everyone on the street appeared to be a transplant, giving some indication of how hard the virus had hit Dayton.

A flicker of something – hope tinged with disbelief, perhaps – crossed Rick's face before his expression fell. "No, she's just really nice. Her whole family is."

Teylor considered the younger man. Rick's confidence had increased over the past year, but the opportunities to interact with attractive, available women had been limited. Rick might actually be oblivious to what the rest of the team had noticed immediately.

Nicole had a massive crush on Rick and probably had since high school.

"Uh huh," Teylor replied. "That why she saved all of the shit in your room – including the four leaf clover collection from when you were six. Because she's nice. No other reason."

Rick shrugged. "It doesn't matter anyway. We're leaving soon. I'll probably never see her again."

"That just makes it easier to make a move. You don't have to worry about running into her later if she says no." Teylor teased, but Rick didn't so much as crack a smile.

"I wouldn't know what to say," he muttered.

"Walk up and kiss her. It worked for me."

Rick shot Teylor an exasperated look, surprising him. It typically took a lot more ribbing to get under Rick's skin. "You and Caro had history. You knew where you stood. This is different."

"Not as different as you might think," Teylor muttered.

_Camp Lejeune – 2.5 Years Ago_

_Teylor leaned over the pool table and lined up his shot. Behind him Jones continued to fret. "You sure this is legit? We aren't going to get back to base and find out they trashed our quarters while we were gone, right?"_

_Teylor rolled his eyes. "Will you give it a rest. It's not even 0900 yet."_

_Had it been Benz or Berchem who issued the invitation, Teylor might have been a little more apprehensive. But Lieutenant Green was a straight shooter. If he said that tonight was a get-together for the group to celebrate the end of training, then tonight was a get-together to celebrate the end of training. For the trainees, at least_ _. What the SEAL team was celebrating might be an entirely different matter. Teylor wasn't naive enough to believe that the Naval Mountain Warfare unit was really here for the sole purpose of running the Advanced Training Program that Teylor, Jones, and thirteen of their fellow sailors (half the group they started with) had spent the last eight weeks completing. No, Teylor had little doubt that the SEALs presence in South Caroline was merely a cover but he wasn't complaining. He had found it invigorating being around men who constantly pushed him to his limits physically and mentally. And apparently Teylor had made enough of an impression for Green to single him out, pulling him aside to discuss the possibility of Teylor becoming a SEAL himself. He had been gratified that Green thought he had what it took._

_At exactly 0900 the door to the pool hall opened to admit the Naval Mountain Warfare Unit, and they were not alone. Teylor hazard a guess that the woman with her arm around Berchem's waist was his wife. Cruz had been surprised to learn that the man was married. Out of all of the guys on the team, Berchem, who flirted with anyone with a double X chromosome, seemed the least likely to be hitched. Although, to give the man credit, Teylor had never seen him cross the line into anything physical. Teylor had no idea who the woman holding Benz's hand was but, from what he had gathered, the lieutenant had a revolving door of female companions. Next through the door were Smith and Green, followed by a tall willowy blonde whom Teylor identified as Green's girlfriend from pictures, and a shorter, curly-haired brunette. Teylor took a guess that the brunette was with Smith, which was slightly surprising since the man had never mentioned having a girlfriend, or even going on a date._

_The brunette looked up, and Teylor realized that he had been caught staring. But the emotion that ran through him was not embarrassment. It was envy. What he wouldn't give to date a woman like that. Smith was a damn lucky man._

" _Gentleman! Good to see everybody." Green quickly ran through the introductions, his hand gesturing towards the brunette at the very end. "And that is my pain-in-the-ass sister Caroline."_

_Teylor almost choked. *This* was the woman that the team referred to as the wicked witch of the west?_

_Green pulled out his wallet. "First round on me. What is everyone drinking?"_

_Teylor held up his Diet Pepsi without a word. Suddenly Caroline Green was next to him, lifting the soda from his hand to take a healthy sip. "Are you a teetotaler or a lightweight?"_

_Teylor shrugged. He had taken much worse shit from his brothers about his drinking habits (or, more appropriately, lack of drinking habits). "I like the taste."_

_After a second's stunned pause, Caroline threw her head back and laughed. When she finished, she tilted her head to the side, eyes narrowing on him. "You recovering?"_

_Teylor considered her question as he recovered his drink. It wasn't a question many people asked, and he wondered what had happened in her life to make her sensitive to the issue. "Nope. Just like to pace myself. Especially around a commanding officer. Vomiting on a superior's shoes is generally a bad idea."_

_A slow smile spread across Caroline's face. "Hey Danny! Cruz changed his mind. We're going to do shots. Tequila."_

_Teylor didn't respond to the challenge, simply picking up his soda and draining the bottle. If Ms. Caroline Green thought that he was a lightweight, she was in for a hell of a surprise._

_When Green reappeared by their side, he placed of a bottle of Diet Pepsi and four shots of tequila on the edge of the pool table. Teylor expected some sort of lecture from Green about keeping his hands to himself, but Green directed his warnings at his sister. "Play nice Caro. I'd hate to screw up my evening with a trip to the ER for alcohol poisoning."_

_From across the room Benz gave Teylor a salute, before doubling over with laughter. "Good luck, man. You're going to need it."_

_Teylor glance from one man to another, wondering what he had managed to get himself into. "Something you want to tell me?"_

" _You'll be fine." Green slapped him on the back. "Don't worry. We'll make sure you get home afterwards. And I promise not to write you up if you puke on me like Benz did the first and only time he and Caro did shots."_

_Teylor raised an eyebrow. He had seen these guys drink and they sure as shit could hold their alcohol. Good thing he could as well. Teylor picked up one of the glasses. "Salud."_

" _Salud." And Caroline chugged her shot without a moment's hesitation._

_Teylor wasn't sure how many hours had passed, or how many shots he and Caroline had done, when he dragged his attention away from Caroline and realized that most of their group was gone. Green had left hours earlier with Rebecca after getting Teylor's assurance that he would escort Caroline back to her hotel, and then flipping his sister the bird when she told Green to try to get out of bed before dinner the following day. Berchem and Smith had disappeared not much later. At some point Benz and the other guys from the training program must have departed as well, leaving only Caroline, Teylor and Jones._

_After pouring Jones into a cab, Teylor turned to Caroline, unable to take his eyes off her. Despite knowing her for only a few hours, he was half in love with the woman. Funny, observant and obviously smart as hell, Teylor had no idea how Caroline had gotten such a bad reputation with Green's friends._

_Sliding into the back of the next cab, Teylor abruptly realized that he had no idea where they were going. "I forgot to ask you which hotel you are staying at."_

_Her twinkling laugh as she gave the driver directions brought a goofy smile to his face. God he could used to that sound._

_As they pulled up before her hotel, Teylor was only mildly surprised when Caroline tugged him out of the cab with her. Caroline Green was definitely not the coy type. Leaning against the wall, Teylor watched as she unlocked her door, her hands steady despite the amount of alcohol she had consumed. Caroline hadn't been lying when she said that her tolerance was high. Teylor had seen men twice her size leveled by that much tequila. The door finally gave and Caroline tugged Teylor inside before backing him up against an interior wall._

" _Is this the part where you roll me and steal my money?"_

_Caroline licked her lips, her smile predatory as she slipped her arms around his neck and pressed a delicate kiss against his jawline. "I have something much more fun in mind. Although, come to think of it, there might be some rolling."_

Present

It had been one of the best nights of his life, followed by one of the worst mornings, and then two years of icy silence broken only when Teylor decided to throw it all on the table by kissing Caroline in front of her brother and most of the team.

Nope, no matter what Rick believed, Teylor had most certainly _not_ known where he stood with Caro that day in Connecticut.

"Is it wrong?" Rick asked, his voice subdued.

"Is what?" Teylor responded, still caught in his own memories.

"Is it wrong to be thinking about Nicole when my Mom is dead?" Rick muttered, his face immediately turning bright red.

Teylor tilted his head back, staring up at the darkening sky. "Do you remember that letter, the one that my mom left me at the house?"

"Yep." Rick's voice was softer. Teylor never talked about that day – or his parents or the letter.

"She gave me her wedding ring." Teylor pulled his dog tags out from under his shirt, showing Rick the simple unadorned ring. "She knew that she was dying when she wrote that letter. My dad was already gone. Ellie and the kids were sick. The last thing that my mother said to me was that she hoped I would find a woman to marry, someone to start my own family with."

The two men stood in silence as Teylor worked through the rush of emotions that lambasted him at the thought of his mother, his family. His fist closed tightly around the ring.

"I have to believe that your mother would want the same thing for you, Rick. She loved you. She wouldn't want you to be alone."

Their eyes met and Teylor knew that Rick understood. "You going to give that to Caro?"

"That's the plan. We'll see how it goes. Caro is rarely predictable."


	13. Erik (Rick) Miller

"You up for a ride, Wolfman?" Rick asked as he walked into the kitchen, where the majority of the team had congregated in order to give Rick (and the Clarks) some privacy. Not that Rick actually wanted company for this particular excursion. But if he tried to go by himself, Danny would just send someone to shadow him. This way at least Rick could decide who was coming.

"Sure, mate." Wolf stood gracefully, his footsteps noiseless as he crossed the snowy yard to the parked jeep, settling into the passenger seat. Rick noted the gesture, giving the Aussie an appreciative nod. He wasn't in the mood to provide directions.

Eight silent minutes later, Rick eased into the parking lot of Morrison Park. Prior to the pandemic, Morrison Park had been a popular location for children's birthday parties, the extensive playground, train ride, and duck pond serving up constant entertainment, with the covered pavilions offering relief from the elements. Rick remembered coming here as a child to go ice skating and then sitting at the tables, drinking hot chocolate, watching as the train, decked to the nines with holiday wreaths, made pass after pass. But, as with everything, the virus had left its deadly fingerprints on the park. The train, once so carefully maintained, sat half buried by the drifts of snow, the track below no longer visible. The duck pond was empty. In fact, the only sign of life was at the main pavilion, which had been closed in on three sides when the park was being used as a safe zone.

Now it was a memorial for those who were lost.

Rick sat unmoving as one person, then another, braved the chill to approach the pavilion. Even from this distance, Rick could tell that every inch of the interior was covered with photographs, presumably of the missing or the dead. At the edge of the building hundreds of candles had melted away the snow, creating an icy perimeter.

Rick opened his door, but before he could exit he was stopped by Wolf's gravelly voice. "You want me to come with you?"

There was so much sympathy, so much understanding in Wolf's eyes that Rick had to look away. He shrugged. "Up to you."

But he wasn't surprised when Wolf joined him for the brief walk up the hill, someone having shoveled a path through the snow. Or maybe the snow had simply been packed down as person after person made the trek to this spot in order to mourn.

Rick hesitated at the threshold of the building, uncertainty striking him. It was silly, really, to put his mother's picture here. He was leaving in a few hours and chances were that he would never lay eyes on Dayton, Ohio again. To those who came to visit, Barbara would merely be another stranger on the wall.

But, at the same time, Rick wanted to leave some symbol of her in Dayton, where Barbara had lived her life. She had been born here, gone to school here, married here, raised her son here, and died here. Rick might not have a body to bury, but he could at least put her picture on the wall. Perhaps a friend or neighbor would come by the pavilion and recognize her. Perhaps they would say a prayer for her.

_Perhaps he wouldn't be the only person missing her._

Finding a small blank space, Rick pinned the picture to the wall and took a step back. It was an old picture, from before Rick's father split. Barbara was sitting in a folding chair in the backyard, feet in a kiddie pool, laughing, happy.

And that was the way Rick wanted to remember her. The way he wanted everyone to remember her.

Rick fingered the small, rectangular medal before tacking it on the wall. If anyone deserved an award for bravery, it was Barbara Miller. The woman who had single-handedly raised him. The woman who had turned him into the man he was today.

"Your mother would have been proud of you," Wolf said quietly. "Proud of what you did. Proud that you volunteered for the trials. Proud of what you are doing now."

Rick continued to gaze at the wall. "I wish that I could have told her. A silver star. She wouldn't have had any idea what that meant but she would have gotten excited anyway."

"That's what mother's do," Wolf responded. "They barrack for you."

"Barrack?" Rick asked, his lips curling despite himself. Wolf rarely used Aussie terms around the team, knowing that, once the inevitable confusion was resolved, the mocking would begin. Wolf's decision to use one now was no doubt strategic.

"Cheer."

"Do you think she was in a lot of pain?" Rick blurted into the silence.

"Nah, mate, Burk said she had morphine at the end. He wouldn't lie about something like that." Wolf's reply was instant, completely confident, calming Rick. Yet he couldn't shake the feeling that Carlton knew more than he was sharing. Tex had stood motionless, not moving so much as a hair, when telling Rick that they had confirmed, via hospital records, that Barbara had died. That she had been at the hospital, that she had been given pain medication, that she hadn't suffered. But Carlton. Carlton had looked away for half a second, and Rick had suspected that he knew more than he was sharing.

"Burk knew something. Something he wasn't telling me." Rick scuffed his boot on the cement floor. Didn't he _deserve_ to know what had happened? The whole truth? Not just the part that Tex and Carlton wanted to tell him?

"Answer me this, Miller. When we were in Louisiana, did you tell Cruz what we saw at his house when we were moving the bodies?"

The memories triggered by Wolf's words caused Rick's stomach to heave. He doubted that he would ever adjust to the sight of bodies, but that day had been by far the worst. Knowing that it was Teylor's family – his parents, his sister, his nieces. Somehow seeing a single family wiped out had been worse than learning that 9000 people died at Gitmo.

"No," Rick barely croaked the words.

"Trust me, Miller. If there is something that Tex and Burk aren't telling you, it's something that you don't need to know."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Rick dawdled in his bedroom. Well, his former bedroom. Now Nicole's bedroom. Between them, they had packed up all of his things and loaded them into the jeep. The Navy poster. The ammo box. The pictures of Rick and Barbara. Everything identifying this as the room where Rick lived for eighteen years was gone.

In their place were Nicole's things. Her pictures, her knick-knacks, her books. He picked up one of the books, feeling its heft. _Electrical Circuits and Systems: An Introduction for Engineers and Physical Scientists_. No fluffy paperbacks for Nicole. It was the kind of book that Andy Chung used to read back in the day, spreading his materials across the table in the mess, stressed that he wouldn't be prepared for some upcoming assessment.

"Erik?"

Nicole spoke quietly, gingerly, as though she was worried about interrupting. Rick took a deep breath, releasing it slowly as he turned, book still in hand. Teylor was right. If he didn't say something, he would regret it.

"Do you think that you'll go back? To college, I mean," he asked, not meeting her eyes.

Nicole moved to his side, taking the book from him. "I don't know. I mean, who knows if the school is even going to reopen. You said Boston was hit really hard. All the professors might be dead."

"You could come to Norfolk," Rick blurted, feeling the wave of heat rushing across his face. "Not that we have a college. But Commander Garnett is always looking for help. That's the chief engineer on the Nathan James. I bet she'd be willing to teach you. Or I could introduce you to Kara – that's Danny's wife – she's a lieutenant too. She runs a training program for junior officers. Alisha helps out. She could put in a good word for you with Kara. If you were interested, I mean."

Rick forced himself to stop rambling. Biting back a groan at his own idiocy, he peaked at Nicole's face and, to his extreme relief, she was grinning. Setting the textbook down on the bed, Nicole walked up to Rick, wrapping her arms around his waist before looking up at him.

"I would love that."


	14. Kara Foster Green

Kara placed the final box before Neil and settled into a chair several feet away. Halsey shifted so that he was sitting practically on her feet, his posture alert and tense. Kara's gaze moved to Eddie, who was making no more pretense than Halsey that this was a social visit.

Eddie was standing by the window, ramrod-straight, in full uniform. He had left his weapon holstered, but since Neil was unarmed (having been searched by Eddie before he was allowed inside), Kara hardly considered that a concession. Eddie had been against the idea from the beginning, arguing that no good would come of letting _that man_ into the house, even if Neil had passed Commander Slattery's examination and the incident at the Green house two mornings ago had been officially chalked up to a misunderstanding.

"Do you have any other family that we might be able to help you locate?" Kara asked gently as Neil began peering into the boxes holding the remnants of his parents' life. Family photographs. Personalized trinkets. Hand-drawn pictures. Neil pulled an _I love my grandpa_ mug, pictures of smiling children featured on each side, out of the box and cradled it in his hands. Kara wasn't certain whether any of those children belonged to Neil. She could tell from the silver band that he wore on his left hand that he was, or at least had been, married. But Kara had not spent time studying the photos as she packed them up. Both because it had felt inappropriate, like she was a voyeur, and because she hadn't wanted to dwell on the fact that everyone in those photos was most likely dead.

Instead she had boxed up everything that looked vaguely personal and moved it to the attic, hoping that some of the prior owners' family had survived, that there would be someone to give the photos and heirlooms to. But she had not fully appreciated how difficult that passing along would be.

"I didn't live here, you know," Neil said finally. "My work was based out of Denver Colorado. I was in Oregon when all flights were grounded. I decided to hole up in my hotel. I figured that things would blow over in a couple of days and that being on the road was a bad idea. By the time I realized that things weren't going to blow over, I was stuck. I guess I was lucky in a way. Oregon was hit late I wasn't infected at the airport like so many other travelers, and the safe zone where I ended up wasn't compromised. Once the quarantines were lifted I headed back to Denver looked for my wife. But the house was empty. Nobody was there."

"I'm sorry," Kara murmured, but Neil barely seemed to notice her presence as he continued to twirl the mug round and round in his hands. Kara wondered how much (or how little) human interaction he had engaged in during the last year.

"I thought perhaps Meg had come here. But maybe she went to New York instead, to find my sisters. That's where they were. Upstate New York. Do you have any way of contacting people up there?" Neil glanced up at Kara, a flicker of hope in his eyes.

"The president has established a presence in New York City and I believe they are attempting to make contact with the areas north. We sent a team up an hour past Albany a few weeks back." Kara was careful not to mention that the news the team brought back had not been good. The situation up north, especially with winter now in full swing, had been bleak. Supplies were low, leading to an increase in violence as well as massive malnutrition, and more deaths were likely as the temperatures dropped and people began succumbing to the elements. "If you give me the names of the people that you are looking for I can send them along."

Neil swallowed thickly. "I appreciate it."

"Of course."

Neil begin closing the boxes up again. "I don't think that I can look at any of this right now." He paused, glancing up at Kara properly for the first time. "I spoke with a woman from the resettlement facility named Debbie Foster. She said that she was your mother."

That caught Kara by surprise. Her mother hadn't mentioned talking to Neil. "Yes, she is."

"She's going to help me get settled here. I have no reason to go back to Denver. And I don't want to repeat this experience up north. I didn't mean to cause a panic. I was just excited when I got here and saw that the house was occupied. I really am sorry for any trouble that I caused, especially since you are all being so nice."

"It was all a misunderstanding. No harm done," Kara replied, ignoring Eddie's _hmpf_.

"I understand that your husband is out of town?" Neil was looking back and forth between her and Eddie curiously. "I imagine that you must be somebody pretty important to rank this level of security. One of those soldiers said that the tall, gray-haired guy was an admiral."

"Everyone is important now," Kara replied softly.

Neil's gaze shifted to Eddie. "You're the only person I have met here who rated a guard though."

Eddie's stern expression didn't change as he met Neil's eyes. "I'm here voluntarily. Kara's husband is my best friend. I know that he would have done the same for me."

Neil had the grace to look embarrassed as he turned back to Kara. "You're lucky to have such good friends."

"That I am," Kara acknowledged. "That I am."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"So are you going to tell me?" Kara asked Eddie. Neil had left twenty minutes earlier and the two were sharing a cup of coffee, enjoying a quiet moment while Frankie and Tyler napped. Caro had taken Joanne to her doctor's appointment that afternoon and Chris had decided to tag along, leaving the house feeling particularly empty.

"Tell you what?" Eddie replied, obviously trying to dodge the inquiry.

"Who the mystery woman is," Kara teased.

Eddie grimaced. "It's not that I don't want to tell you. But she's a little, well, hesitant to let anyone know what is going on."

That caught Kara by surprise. She had assumed that Eddie was the one keeping it low-key, still reconciling the idea of dating someone new with his continuing grief over the loss of his wife.

"Is she attached?" Kara asked, guessing what she assumed was the most likely issue. Then, realizing that she had just suggested Eddie was engaging in an adulterous affair, she qualified. "I mean, is she not certain what happened to her husband?"

Eddie shook his head. "No, he's definitely dead. She's older than me. She's worried about what people will think."

"You are exactly sixteen Eddie. How old can she possibly be?" Kara demanded. "The only unattached women you spend any time with – excluding Alisha and Val, of course – are ..."

Kara stopped short.

_Kelly Tophet_

Eddie and Kelly had been in almost daily contact since Eddie's arrival in Norfolk, the two working closely together to establish the new counseling program that Admiral Chandler had asked Kelly to organize here in Norfolk. Although Kelly was an experienced therapist, she had been a family counselor before the pandemic. Eddie, who had been through a specialized program for soldiers with PTSD prior to the virus hitting, had helped fill the gaps in Kelly's education regarding the various therapies that he had gone through. Kelly had adopted a number of them in the program since, as Kelly often pointed out, every single person in Norfolk these days, military or otherwise, was suffering from some level of PTSD.

"It's Kelly, isn't it?"

Kara watched as Eddie's face turned a pale pink. "Yes. You can't tell her that you know, however. She made me promise not to tell anyone."

"Does Danny know?" Kara pressed.

"No," Eddie shook his head vehemently. "Nobody does. Neither one of us intended for anything to happen. We were just spending a lot of time together getting the counseling program up and running and she was so easy to talk to about everything that happened with Amber. Plus she's really good with Tyler, you know, since she's a mom. After a while we both just realized that things had changed."

Kara fought the urge to smile. Eddie sounded smitten.

"So you're keeping it on the down low until you know whether this is more than just a fling?" She asked, trying to understand the situation.

"It's not a fling," Eddie replied decisively, causing Kara to wonder just how long this had been going on. "No, Kelly's worried about what people will think because she's almost ten years older. She doesn't want to be looked at as a cradle robber. Plus, we work together so that makes it a little more complicated, as you know."

"Yes, that I understand," Kara said wryly, turning over Eddie's words in her mind. People could be harsh, and Kelly had faced more than her share of scuttlebutt over Quincy's questionable choices in connection with the Russians. Kara personally believed that Quincy had redeemed himself through his actions in Baltimore, sacrificing himself to protect the primordial strain (and the crew), but there were those that persisted in viewing him as a traitor. Kara had no doubt that Kelly and Ava continued to feel the stain on their family, much like Alisha did, and could understand why Kelly might be reluctant to put herself in a position where she would be the subject of more gossip. But Kara also knew, from personal experience, that keeping a relationship secret created a great deal of stress on the couple. "We have been through so much in the last two years. I would hope that we have all realized that there are more important things in life than an age gap."

"I'm not the person you need to convince," Eddie replied mildly and Kara tipped her head to the side, observing him, wondering whether, like a typical guy, he was just being clueless.

"Did Danny ever tell you about the time he broke up with me?"

"No." Eddie seemed shocked. "Why would he do a stupid thing like that?"

"Because we were breaking the frat rules and he thought it was the right thing to do," Kara squared her shoulders, the old pain not entirely gone. "It's hard, keeping your feelings for someone else a secret from everyone around you. You become hyper focused when you are in a room with them, considering every movement, every word beforehand, worried that you will accidentally give yourself away."

_And then there's the flip side, watching the man that you are head over heels in love with walk past you as though he barely notices your presence and wondering whether he really meant all the things that he says when you are alone, when it is just the two of you._

Kara realized that she had trailed off. Looking up, she saw Eddie was watching her, a look of growing comprehension on his face.

"If you want my advice, I'd put it out in the open and see what happens. People might just be more understanding than you think."


	15. Alisha Granderson

Alisha sank onto the bed, a hotel bathrobe wrapped around her tightly, enjoying the luxurious feel of the plush comforter.

They had arrived in Chicago just over an hour ago, and Carlton had decreed it too late to look for his parents tonight. Instead, after checking in at Chicago's newly established civic center, which also served as military headquarters, the team had split. Danny and Carlton had gone with Colonel Browder to report back to Norfolk and update the Colonel on various national security matters, while the rest of the team settled into their assigned rooms at the hotel adjacent.

A hotel with running water, something that Alisha had immediately taken advantage of, indulging in a long, piping hot shower. After almost a week of travelling, a five minute splash-and-dash was simply not going to cut it.

After securing St. Louis, President Michener had selected Chicago to serve as the northern base of operations in the efforts to spread the cure. In the six months since their arrival, Colonel Browder and his team had worked tirelessly to bring the Windy City back to life, and the results had been nothing short of miraculous. In addition to conducting a grid-by-grid search of the city looking for survivors and disbursing the cure, the Colonel had establishing a civilian government, created a supply chain to relieve food shortages, and re-established basic emergency services. And perhaps most importantly, Browder had managed to get a nearby nuclear power plant up and running, providing Chicago with a constant supply of power, and thereby heat, a necessity in a city that averaged three feet of snow annually.

It was a far cry from the way things were before the virus hit, but they were getting there.

At exactly 1730, Alisha entered the hotel lobby dressed casually in a pair of jeans and a thermal, lugging a bag filled with the uniforms she had been wearing for the last week. Colonel Browder had promised that anything delivered to the base laundry would be cleaned overnight and Alisha planned to make full use of the facilities. Wolf, Tex, Teylor and Rick had beat her to the lobby, and Alisha noticed that she was not the only one lugging a bag. The guys all smelled a lot better too.

They had dropped off their laundry and were in the cafeteria loading up their trays with food when a voice rang out from across the room.

"Alisha? Alisha Granderson?"

From the corner of her eye Alisha saw Rick and Teylor shift closer. Word of Amy Granderson's misdeeds had not been limited to Baltimore, and this would not be the first time that someone called Alisha out on her mother's transgressions. In their first few weeks at Norfolk, Alisha had been confronted almost daily by those who had lost loved ones to the death machines of Olympia. The only unusual thing about tonight was that Alisha was not in uniform, her last name usually being the trigger for this type of incident. Alisha braced herself as she turned.

"Yes?"

But the woman, a blonde in her mid-forties who looked vaguely familiar, did not appear angry. In fact, she was smiling.

The woman held out her hand. "Meredith Silver. You probably don't remember me but I worked with your mother on several occasions. I was an activist focused on women's rights issues. Your mother was a big supporter."

"Oh, yes, I believe we met at a luncheon," Alisha replied guardedly. Alisha could recall the luncheon clearly. It had been a virtual who's-who of female power players in Washington, all of whom had come together to hear a speech by the first minority woman to be appointed to the Supreme Court. Alisha recalled gazing around the room at the female senators and judges and CEOs in wonder, feeling proud that her mother was one of them. Part of the force for change. Part of the solution. A champion for women and minorities.

_When had Amy changed? When had she given up on the idea that every person was equal, every person deserved a fair shot? Or had it always been a lie? Had Amy always felt superior to those around her?_

"It's wonderful to see you!" Meredith gushed. "Washington was hit so hard, you know. I rarely run into anyone that I know. Is your mother with you?"

Alisha held herself ramrod straight, wondering how many people were eavesdropping on this conversation. How many knew what her mother had done. How many people were even now sharing the story of what happened in Baltimore with those around them.

"No. She's dead."

"My condolences." Meredith seemed genuinely saddened by the news. "The world could have used a person like her, someone good at creating consensus, to help rebuild."

Alisha hadn't intended to enlighten this woman, but she couldn't let a statement like that stand. "My mother might have been able to create consensus, but it was the wrong kind. The world is better off without her."

Meredith appeared shocked, both at Alisha's words and her tone. "I seem to have touched on a difficult subject for you. I apologize. Please do accept my condolences about your mother."

As the woman scurried off, Alisha turned back to the guys. Placing her tray down on the table, she avoided their eyes, knowing what she would see. They would all be looking at her sympathetically, compassionately. Support and sympathy that she didn't deserve. "I'm not all that hungry. I think I will go take a short walk."

Alisha didn't wait for response as she turned and headed towards the door but Tex, being Tex, couldn't let her get the last word. He jogged after her, catching up just outside the cafeteria.

"I'm fine, Tex." Alisha said icily. "You don't need to follow me around like a puppy."

"Nope, sure don't need to, but I like chatting with you girl," Tex replied, as though he hadn't heard Alisha's insult. "You're the only one that still laughs at my jokes."

"Nobody laughs at your jokes, Tex."

"Got you to smile, though," Tex teased, and Alisha had to admit that he was right. Trust Tex to know exactly what to say. Unfortunately he wasn't done. "What your mom did - it's on her. None of it is on you."

They were words that Alisha hadn't heard a heard hundred times before. From Admiral Chandler, from Commander Slattery, from the Master Chief – even from Kara, who had somehow forgiven her for what happened in Baltimore.

_Almost a year ago – Norfolk_

" _Doc said you can leave. Ready to get going?"_

_Alisha rolled over in the bunk, refusing to look at her best friend. Or at least, the woman who had been her best friend before Amy Granderson had tried to kill her and her unborn child._

" _I was thinking about talking to the XO. Seeing if I could get a different cabin. Maybe the Captain would let you and Danny bunk together."_

" _Fat chance of that," Kara scoffed. "XO gave Danny the evil eye when he saw us on deck together yesterday. I expected him to pull out the measuring tape to confirm that we had the appropriate twelve inches of space between us."_

" _Then you could bunk with somebody else. You don't have to share with me." Although her back remained turned, Alisha could hear Kara moving around the cabin opening and closing drawers._

" _I don't want another bunk mate, Alisha." Kara's voice was firm. "And I don't want to be by myself. What I want is for you to move back into our cabin."_

" _Did the Master Chief put you up to this? Like he did with the ceremony?" Alisha asked suspiciously, sitting up with her back against the top of the bunk._

_With a sigh, Kara sat next to Alisha, curling her legs up under her and meeting Alisha's gaze directly. "The Master Chief didn't put me up to anything. Then or now. I wasn't avoiding you because I was upset with you. I was avoiding you because I was avoiding everybody. Doctor Scott said that it was shock. A delayed reaction, probably. It had nothing with you."_

" _How can you say that? After what happened? After what my own mother did to you? How can you even look at me?"_

_Kara's hand dropped to her stomach, eyes shutting for the briefest of moments, as though she was reassuring herself that everything was okay. That the nightmare was over. "You had nothing to do with what happened Alisha. I know that you would have tried to stop her if you knew."_

_Alisha squeezed her eyes shut, suspecting that the tears were leaking through anyway. "I trusted her. I believed her. I never suspected that she might be hurting people. That she might hurt you. I should have known."_

" _Do you remember what you said when I told you about the baby?" Kara asked, her voice barely audible._

" _I asked if I could be the godmother." Alisha replied, confused._

_"After that. When I told you how scared I was."_

_Alisha's eyes popped open. "I said that I'd help, if anything happened to Danny. That we could do it together. Raise a baby. You and me."_

" _You and me, Lish." The words hung in the air for a moment as Kara reached over to take Alisha's hand. "Amy Granderson has done enough damage. Please don't let her ruin our friendship too."_

Present

Alisha squared her shoulders. No matter what anyone said, Alisha would never absolve herself for what happened in Baltimore. But she had been blessed with friends, with teammates, who were willing to stand by her side despite what had happened. The least she could do was try not make their lives harder.

"I guess I am a little hungry," Alisha said, turning back towards the cafeteria. "Besides, I want to see if Rick really can eat that entire corn beef sandwich. That thing is the size of his head."

"I bet Cruz ten bucks that Miller ends up puking," Tex replied. "You want in?"


	16. Wolf Taylor

Wolf had just sunk his teeth into the thick slice of deep dish pizza (or slice of Chicago-style heaven as Carlton called it), when Tex and Alisha re-joined them at the table.

Teylor turned to Tex immediately. "Can you believe that this knuckle-head thinks Krispie Kreme donuts are better than Dunkins?"

"Believe it or not, I'm going to side with Miller here," Tex replied. "Dunkins' always taste stale to me."

"Are you kidding me!" Teylor was clearly horrified. "Dunkins are the best!"

Having only minimal interest in donuts, Wolf continued to eat. Next to him Alisha's tension was palpable as she sat silently, picking at her sandwich. Prior to this trip Wolf had interacted with the young lieutenant rarely. Now, after more than a week together 24/7, Wolf was convinced that Alisha had been switched at birth. Because there was no way a person as morally corrupt as Amy Granderson could possibly have raised an upstanding woman like Alisha.

Although Wolf had joined the Nathan James after it left Baltimore, he had been a first-hand witness to the crew's devastation – and their betrayal – over what had happened. Amy Granderson's treachery had been a double blow. Because not only was Amy the mother of a fellow sailor, but she was also an official in the government that they had sworn to uphold. She was someone who they were supposed to be able to trust. Someone who was supposed to put the needs of the people first.

When in reality she had been no different from Ruskov, seeking the cure for her own selfish purposes.

In many ways the Nathan James had been shielded from the virus's destructive path. Isolated in the arctic, they had missed the break-down of society that occurred as the virus spread. They had been spared the mass hysteria, the panic that took root as safe zone after safe zone was compromised. They had experienced little of the fear and terror that drove people to do things that would have been unthinkable in the days before the virus. And because of that, their experience with Amy Granderson had been all the more shocking. All the more devastating.

As he polished off the slice of pizza and started on his second – Carlton had not mislead him, it was delicious – Wolf wondered again how things had gone down in Australia. Whether the virus had caught his family as unaware as it had caught him, or if they had been able to prepare, perhaps to escape to the relative safety of the Outback. Wolf tried to imagine where they might be, what they might be doing right now, but the picture refused to form, as his mind returned again and again to the memory of the last time that they were all together.

_Two years ago_

" _What are those boots doing in my house?" A tiny woman with coal-black, stick-straight hair came tearing out of the kitchen whipping a rolling pin around her head. "Do you think we have magical elves who do the cleaning around here?"_

" _He's getting spoiled by that fancy job of his. Means somebody else does all the mopping now," Magnus Taylor replied as he rounded the corner of the tiny house where they had been raised and gave his older brother a hug. Growing up, Wolf had thought his parents were insane to attempt to raise five children in a two bedroom house. Wolf's bunk on the ship was bigger than the bed he had occupied for his first sixteen years, squeezed into the corner of the laundry room between the door and the washing machine. But somehow they had managed._

" _Sorry Mum," Wolf bent himself almost in half how to give the petite woman a kiss on the cheek. He had always been amused that a woman this tiny had given birth to boys who grew up to be twice her size._

" _I see Mag made it. Is everyone else here?" Wolf asked. Getting this time off had been difficult. He had actually spoken to his brothers about the possibility that he might not be able to make it home this year, wanting them both to be prepared just in case. But somehow he had managed to get on a last-minute transport and arrived in Australia with hours to spare._

" _Lakota has the whole week off," Winona explained cheerily as she headed back into the kitchen. Despite having lived in Australia for more than 30 years, she continue to have a trace of an American accent. "And Skye promised to be here in time for supper. She's thinking about doing a study abroad next semester – maybe going to the United States. All you boys have done so much traveling. She doesn't want to be left behind."_

_Wolf, as the oldest, had paved the way for his next two brothers to join the military. But each of them had found their own niche. Lakota, like Wolf, was an explosives expert, but for the Army. Magnus, always the competitive one, had elected to join special forces. All three had left the house years ago. And now even Skye was gone, having secured her own flat close to the university. Leaving their mother here alone in the bungalow she had lived in for more than thirty years._

_Which was one of the many reasons it was so important for Wolf to be here today. He had missed birthdays and Christmas and Easter more times than he could count. But in all of the years that Wolf had been gone, he had somehow always managed to come home on the anniversary of the day that they lost Tyee._

_Tyee_

_God it hurt to think about him. To realize that he had now been dead far longer than he was alive. His picture still sat third on the mantle, his crooked smile and freckles frozen back in the 1980s even as the pictures surrounding him changed. If things had gone differently, Tyee would have been a man by now. Maybe, like his brothers, the pictures sitting on the mantel would be of him in his uniform. Or maybe, like Skye, he would have elected to stay close to home, to attend college, to take care of their mother._

_But all of that possibility, all of that potential, had been eliminated by one toasted bloke who decided to drive home from the pub._

_Unlike Magnus, who insisted that he had no memories of that day, Wolf could still see the car heading directly towards the three of them as they pedaled down the heat-baked road. He could hear his mother's shout to get out of the road. Lakota, thankfully, was back with their mother, walking next to the pram. Older and stronger, Wolf and Magnus both managed to pull their bikes up the short, steep embankment to the safety of the trees, but Tyee had still been on the road when the drunk hit. Wolf would never forget the sound of his mother's screams as his brother's body flew past the car, landing in a pool of blood, or the look on her face as she sat cradling her young son in her arms, knowing even before the paramedics arrived that it would make no difference, murmuring a prayer for his safe passage._

_It had been, without question, the worst day of all of their lives. Even the death of his father five years ago from a heart attack had not been as horrible as losing Tyee._

_But what struck Wolf the most as he listened to his mother chatter was not the tragedy that had struck their family, but his mother's unwavering belief that she would one day be reunited with the son that she had not been able to raise here on earth. T_ _hat, someday, they would all be together again._

_"Now come along. The water is boiling and those potatoes are not going to peel themselves," Winona announced. "Magnus, you too. What's the point of having two big strapping lads around the house if I can't put you to work?"_

Present

"You okay Wolfman?"

From the concerned tone in Rick's voice, Wolf realized that this must not have been the first time someone had spoke to him. Wolf realized that Carlton and Danny had joined them at the table while he was lost in thought, Burk already digging into a slice of pizza like he hadn't eaten in a year.

"Sorry Miller, wool gathering. What did you say?"

But it was Danny, rather than Rick, who responded. "Admiral Chandler wanted you to know that the Foshan was able to establish contact with what remains of the Australian government once they got around Cape Horn."

Wolf froze, pizza halfway to his mouth. He had lost track of the Foshan's path in the weeks since they left Norfolk, knowing that they would be traveling slowly, making several stops in South America to distribute the cure on their way back to China, not knowing when they would be in a position to try to reach anyone in Australia.

"How hard were they hit?" Wolf finally managed to ask, uncertain whether he wanted to know the answer.

"Apparently not as badly as other metropolitan areas. The government shut down the airports earlier and more of the quarantines held. The losses are still staggering, though," Danny said, his voice serious. "Admiral Chandler asked them to try to contact your family and let them know that you are alive, but he doesn't expect an answer right away. Movement between safe zones is still limited for fear of beginning another outbreak."

"Is the Admiral sending a jet with the cure?" Teylor asked. "Doubt anything else could make it that far without refueling and the Kidd is still in China."

"Even better," Danny replied, the corners of his mouth turning up. "The United States government has officially requested that the Foshan stop at Australia to render medical assistance and provide them with doses of the cure. It has to go through official channels, of course, but between us, Admiral Chandler said that the Foshan's Captain promised they would stop with or without orders. Which they should. Those guys owe us, after all."

"Now you know why Green is in such a good mood. He isn't the one doing the negotiations this time. Jeter has taken it over," Carlton explained, earning a chuckle. As the result of being the head of the team that brought the cure to the Foshan, Danny had become an unwilling participant in the ongoing diplomatic discussions with China. A role that he hated and avoided whenever possible.

Wolf felt a lump grow in his throat as he looked around the table and realized, once again, how lucky he had been to find the Nathan James and her crew. A group of people who had taken him in, who had made him one of their own, and who were doing everything in their power to help him find his family.

The rest of his family, that was. The part that wasn't already here.


	17. Carlton Burk

 

"Now you know why Green is in such a good mood. He isn't the one doing the negotiations this time. Jeter has taken it over," Carlton said before taking another bite of his deep dish meat lovers' pizza. He had been craving real Chicago-style pizza for months but, now that he actually had some, it tasted vaguely like cardboard.

"And, to think, you almost didn't come on this trip," Tex added, his comment directed at Danny. "Just picture what you would be doing right now. Sitting in a conference room bored out of your mind while some whiny-ass diplomat demanded that we ship him the Admiral's first-born in exchange for stopping by Sydney and dropping off the cure."

"Almost makes up for having to listen to those things you call jokes," Danny retorted.

"They're really organized here," Teylor commented, changing the topic. "Way ahead of St. Louis or Norfolk in getting basic services up and running. Did the Colonel tell you how they did it?"

As Danny launched into a description of Colonel Browder's impressive accomplishments over the past six months, Carlton tuned him out. Normally Carlton would have been very interested in the Colonel's endeavors, hoping that some of the same strategies could be used in other communities. But right now Carlton only cared about one of Colonel Browder's undertakings – a database of all former and current residents of Chicago, and their status as living, missing or dead.

A database that Browder's team was currently running the names of Carlton's family through.

Dinner finished, the group was headed back to the hotel so Danny and Carlton could both take a much needed shower and get into some clean clothes, when a voice spoke from behind them.

"Lieutenant Burk? I have that information you asked for."

Despite the man's effort to be discrete, Carlton had no doubt that every member of the team knew exactly what "information" Carlton had requested. After all, that was why they were here in Chicago in the first place. To find out what happened to his family.

"We'll see you back at the hotel," Danny said, his voice booking no argument (although nobody in the group looked like they wanted to argue anyway). Carlton waited until the corridor emptied before turning back to the young man – Jackson, maybe?

To the guy's credit he didn't try to sugarcoat the news. "Your parents are, unfortunately, listed among the deceased. I am very sorry for your loss, sir."

"Thank you." The news, while expected, still stung. Carlton wondered whether, like Rick's mother, his parents had tried contacting him. At least, unlike Barbara Miller, they had been together at the end. Carlton gave a sharp nod, turning towards the exit to the building but Jackson wasn't finished.

"I did get a hit on one name that you provided. Lieutenant Commander Cameron Burk checked in at this facility three days ago. He listed the same address as the one that you gave us for your parents."

Carlton felt blindsided. Of all the possibilities that Carlton had considered on their way to Chicago, finding Cameron alive had not been one of them. The only reason that he had even mentioned his brother was because Jackson specifically asked for the names of his siblings, wanting to make sure the database was as complete as possible. Carlton had spoken to Cameron once after Captain Chandler had broke EMCON, back in the arctic. He had been on the USS Milius, which was serving as an escort for several cruise ships turned floating safe zones in the Pacific. The call had been short, Carlton not wanted to hog the sat phone talking to the brother he believed to be safe while so many others were still trying desperately to reach their families.

It had been the last time they spoke.

The next time Carlton reached out to Cameron, after the Nathan James arrived in Norfolk, there had been no answer; nor had there been an answer when Carlton tried again from St. Louis. It was only after a group of sailors arrived at the new capitol that Carlton learned what had happened. After months out to sea the cruise ships, hastily stocked in an effort to leave port as quickly as possible, had run out of food. The Milius had put in at Long Beach, hoping to locate the necessary supplies from the numerous cargo ships sitting fully loaded at the port, and avoiding the need to go further inland. But, despite their best safety efforts, someone had been exposed. After moving what food they could to the cruise ships via helicopter drop, the Milius's captain had released the crew and those still healthy enough to do so had immediately disbursed. After hearing about the cure, a few survivors had made it to St. Louis, where Admiral Chandler had recruited them to join the crew of the Kidd. Carlton had spoken to each of the seven men personally, and none of them had seen Cameron since Long Beach.

Under the circumstances, Carlton had recognized that no news was almost certainly bad news, and had accepted that Cameron was gone. He had spent the months since struggling to make peace with his brother's death, a task made more difficult by all that had remained unspoken, all that remained unresolved, between them.

_Six years prior_

" _Hey Cameron! You home?" Carlton tossed his gym bag on the floor near the entryway and headed into the kitchen, pulling a bag of chips out of the cabinet. Carlton knew that his mother wouldn't be home for hours to complain about the mess. Marion, along with every other woman from their congregation, was currently at the church setting up the flowers and decorations for the wedding scheduled to take place the following morning._

_The wedding of the century as far as their mother was concerned._

_After years spent in college and then seminary, Jimmy, Cameron's best friend since elementary school (and the new assistant pastor at the church they had all grown up attending), was finally marrying his childhood sweetheart, Tina, in an elaborate ceremony that had taken almost two years to plan. Cameron and Carlton – along with thirteen other of Jimmy's closest friends – had been selected as groomsmen and they had all spent almost two hours the night before at the church rehearsing the ceremony. Tonight, Jimmy's last night as a single man, looked to be much more enjoyable as Cameron had gotten their names onto the list for a rather exclusive club._

_Hearing noise coming from his brother's bedroom, Carlton pushing open the door while simultaneously shoving a handful of chips into his mouth. "Did you confirm the dinner reserva…"_

_Three steps into the room, Carlton realized that Cameron was not alone. He was, in fact, in the middle of a very intimate embrace with a woman who was as naked as he was. Sputtering, Carlton stumbled backwards, intending to make a quick escape and praying to every deity he could think of that Cameron finished before their mother returned home. He was almost out of the room when the woman under Cameron shifted just enough for Carlton to catch a glimpse of her face._

_Tina._

_The glowing bride-to-be, the toast of the congregation, the fiancée of their childhood friend, was currently having sex with his brother._

_Dropping the bag of chips, Carlton lurched down the stairs and into the kitchen. Staring blindly at his mother's favorite clock, the one with the birds instead of numbers, he watched as fifteen, then twenty, minutes ticked by. Finally the front door opened, then closed, indicating that Tina was gone. A few more minutes passed before Cameron walked into the kitchen, grabbing a soda out of the fridge._

" _How are you going to tell Jimmy?" Carlton asked, hardly able to meet his brother's eyes. Imagining the chaos that would result from calling off the wedding less than twenty-four hours in advance._

" _Tell him what?" Cameron asked as he set the bag of chips that Carlton had dropped down on the table and cracked the can of soda._

" _About you … and Tina." Carlton could barely choke out the words._

" _I'm not." Cameron shrugged._

" _Jimmy is our friend. We have to tell him," Carlton began, but his brother cut him off._

" _And what good would that do?" Cameron demanded. "It will break his heart. And for what? Tina loves Jimmy. She just needs a little bit of non-Jesus style lovin' sometimes. Really, when you think about it, I'm doing Jimmy a favor. If Tina didn't get it from me, she'd just find someone else. Someone who wouldn't care about Jimmy. Someone who might not be as discrete. All telling him will do is stir up problems."_

_Carlton stared as his brother as he realized, in a flash of clarity, that this was not the first time Cameron had slept with Tina. Carlton was sickened. Cameron had always been a bit of a ladies' man, and had not always treated his girlfriends in a manner that Carlton agreed with, but everyone knew that certain things were unacceptable – and sleeping with your best friend's fiancée was certainly one of them._

_Cameron stood, returning the chips to their cabinet. At the doorway he stopped and faced Carlton. "Better get moving. We only have two hours before we pick Jimmy up for his last big hurrah."_

Present

Carlton paced back and forth across the hotel room. That night he and Cameron had taken Jimmy out and gotten him drunk, Cameron teasing his friend the entire evening about having sex with the same woman for the next fifty years. The following day Tina and Jimmy had tied the knot, as planned, before a crowd of six hundred. Marion had spent the entire wedding sobbing into her handkerchief, repeatedly expressing her view that Tina and Jimmy had been made for each other. Tina had given birth to her first child nine months later, and had gone on to have three more babies in the years that followed. Carlton and Cameron had never discussed the incident again. On the surface they had maintained an affable relationship, but that afternoon had created a wedge between them that could not be overcome; Carlton unable to accept his brother's betrayal of a friend and Cameron resentful of what he called Carlton's holier-than-thou attitude.

Seventy-five minutes of pacing later, Carlton threw open the door, taking the stairs two-by-two as he descended to the lobby. He hadn't planned on going back to his parents' house tonight, wanting time to prepare for what might happen, time to calm his riotous emotions. But he couldn't wait. He needed to know for himself whether Cameron was really alive.

Carlton didn't bother rousing any of the team - Chicago appeared safe enough under Browder's control and Carlton knew where he was going. But when Carlton exited the stairwell into the hotel lobby, Danny and Tex were sitting there, playing poker, as though they had been waiting for him. Both were dressed in casual clothing, presumably having taken their typical attire to the cleaners, their heavy winter jackets tossed onto the end of the table, ready to be put on with a moment's notice.

Tex looked down at his watch. "Damn! I guessed that you would be here 30 minutes ago."

"Figured you might need some backup," Danny said as he gathered up the cards, accepting the $10 bill that Tex slid across the table.

Carlton considered the two. Of the group, he was closest to Danny, a relationship forged by shared loss and horror, as well as the weight of responsibility that lay heavy on both of their shoulders. Carlton wasn't overly surprised that Danny was here. After all, it was only days ago that Carlton had invited himself along when Danny headed to Columbus to find Smith's family. As for Tex, well, that guy had a definite knack for showing up just where he was needed.

"Let's go."


	18. Danny Green

 

The street lights, the first Danny had seen since Baltimore, cast a glow over the city as the three men drove through the empty streets. Courtesy of the Palisades Nuclear Power Plant, Chicago had power to spare and, with far too few police officers to effectively patrol the sprawling city, Colonel Browder had found an alternative strategy for keeping the crime rate down. He had simply turned on the lights. Throughout the Windy City, the street lights shone from dusk until dawn, illuminating those who would have preferred to remain in the shadows. But while he admired Browder's resourcefulness, Danny could not help but find the blazing lights, which blocked out any view of the stars, vaguely unsettling.

Danny stole a look at Carlton. The man had barely spoken since they left the hotel, his first and only comment a request for Tex to stop whistling.

An intensely private person, Carlton rarely spoke of either his family or his childhood. Still, the fact that Carlton had a brother – a brother who was a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy, no less – that Carlton had never spoken of before tonight was difficult for Danny to wrap his mind around.

Danny had certainly had some vicious run-ins with his siblings (with Caro at any rate), but he could not fathom going for more than a year without so much as mentioning their existence to the people he worked with every day. Yet in all the time that Danny had known Carlton, Cameron's name had never passed the man's lips. Even when the conversation had turned to stories from their childhoods, when Danny and Teylor and Wolf had shared tales of mischief that they gotten into with their siblings, Carlton had remained mute. Hell, if it wasn't for Kara, Danny probably wouldn't know that Burk had a brother at all.

Which was one of a dozen reasons why Danny and Tex had been sitting in that hotel lobby waiting for Carlton to descend the stairs. Something had clearly happened between the Burk brothers and, without more information, there was no way of knowing whether this reunion would be joyous – or unwanted. Neither Tex nor Danny was going to let Carlton walk into such a situation without backup.

When the team had reached Cornwall Connecticut, Danny's hometown, he had been tempted to forget protocol, to drop his weapons and put himself in the cross-hairs in an effort to reach his sister. Carlton had saved Danny from his own best intentions, forcing him to think with his head rather than his heart. Now was Danny's chance to return the favor. To be objective where Carlton could not.

A feeling of déjà vu washed over him as they pulled up before the house – a two-story Colonial with a candle flickered in the front window. Danny didn't wait for permission before exited the jeep and following Carlton onto the porch, Tex remaining at the bottom of the stairs while Carlton knocked loudly. Several minutes passed before a single click at the peephole alerted them to the presence of a person on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" Danny didn't recognize the gruff voice but the look on Carlton's face told him everything he needed to know. It was Cameron.

Carlton's voice was raspy when he replied. "It's me. Carlton."

The door swung open without delay, giving Danny his first glimpse of Cameron Burk. Tall, fit, close shaven, and confident, Danny had no problem picturing this man in command of a ship's CIC.

"Carl?" The word was a question as Cameron Burk stared at his brother incredulously.

"Hi Cameron."

Before anything else could be said another figure, a woman, pushed her way past Cameron Burk to wrap her arms around his brother with a soft cry. "Carlton? Is it really you?"

"Danielle?" Now it was Carlton's turn to appear dazed. "You're alive!"

"Seemingly," she responded mischievously, before her face dropped. "Aunt Marion and Uncle Lloyd are gone."

"I know, they told me when we checked in with Colonel Browder," Carlton replied. His eyes shifted to his brother. "I thought you were dead. Some of the crew from the Milius made it to St. Louis. They told us what happened, with the crew being exposed to the virus. None of them remembered seeing you leave the ship."

"Nobody knew who had been exposed. Hell, we didn't know that _anyone_ had been exposed until one of the guys collapsed on deck. I figured that if I were dead anyway that I might as well stay as long as I could, finish coordinating the helicopter drops. So I kept going until we ran out of fuel. I was one of the last to leave the ship, alive anyway, with the helicopter pilots. We stayed out of populated areas, moving mostly on foot, until we learned about the cure. Then I headed back here and found Danielle." Cameron explained.

"How did you survive here by yourself?" Carlton asked, his arm still around his young cousin.

"I had been called in as a substitute teacher, due to all the illness. I was at the school when it was turned into a safe zone," Danielle explained. "I stayed there until Colonel Browder arrived to inoculate everyone. Since then I have been working with the civilian government to try to locate families for the children who lost parents."

"Who are they?" Cameron asked, indicating Tex and Danny, his voice cautious but not hostile.

"Lieutenant Danny Green and Tex Nolan," Carlton introduced as the men shook hands. "Part of my team. Danny was in the arctic with me and we picked Tex up along the way."

"Is everyone else on the Nathan James safe, then?" Danielle asked anxiously. "What about Kara?"

A smile cracked Carlton's harsh visage for the first time all night. "Actually, Kara's better than okay. Can you believe that she's a mother now? And that motley guy over there is the dad."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Are you missing the arctic or something?" Danny asked as he brushed the snow off the patio chair next to Carlton and took a seat, thankful for the warmth of his heavy parka given the sub-zero temperatures that Chicago was currently enjoying. They had been here for more than two hours talking to Cameron and Danielle, and Danny had just finished filling the rest of the team in about their whereabouts.

It had been an interesting evening, one that left Danny with more questions than answers. The Burk home had reminded Danny of his own parents' home in Cornwall. The stack of Navy magazines, a pair of reading glasses sitting on top, by Lloyd Burk's recliner. The post-it notes covering the wall next to the refrigerator in Marion Burk's neat handwriting, reminders to pick up the dry cleaning mixed with notes about people wanting to talk to Carlton when he got home beside a sticky with Cameron's address and the word "licorice" scrawled to one side. The pictures on the walls and mantel – two toddlers in matching suits, two middle school boys grinning against a laser background (the kind that had been all the rage around 1992), pictures of two men in matching uniforms, and the entire family of at a wedding, Cameron and Carlton in matching tuxes. Even now two of the bedrooms bore signs reading "Carlton" and "Cameron", as though the men in question might return at any moment.

Everything here identified the Burks as a loving, close-knit family unit. Nothing reflected the stiffness between the brothers, something that had been apparent all evening despite Danielle's best efforts to smooth things over.

Carlton tipped his chair back, staring up at the vast expanse before them. "It's too bright inside to see the stars."

In other words, Carlton was thinking about Ravit.

"Cameron seems like a decent guy," Danny said cautiously.

"Hmph."

Danny tried again. "He was the Milius's TAO, right? I'm sure the Admiral would be happy to put him back out to sea, assuming you were willing to give him a recommendation."

No response. Normally Danny wouldn't have pushed the topic, allowing Carlton his privacy, but….

"Look, Burk, I have no idea what happened between you and your brother and I don't need to know. What I do need to know is whether the team should watch their backs around him."

That got Carlton's attention. His turned to look over at Danny, his expression impossible to read in the darkness. "Cameron's a good sailor. An excellent TAO. He wouldn't put anyone at risk. Our issues are … personal."

Slouching down in his chair, Danny stared up into the stars, wondering what Kara was doing right now. Man he missed her. Especially right now, when he wasn't sure what to say to Burk – or even whether he should say anything. "If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But I have siblings too, Carlton. I know how easy it is for things to blow up. Caro and I didn't talk for six months before the Nathan James left Norfolk."

"What do you think would have happened if we had come home as expected?" Carlton asked. "Would you and Caro have worked things out, do you think?"

Danny pondered the question. It had never really occurred to Danny that he and Caro wouldn't make peace at some point. Towards the end of their time in the arctic, before they learned about the virus, Danny's concerns had leaned more towards how badly Caro would react to meeting Kara than to the possibility that Danny and Caro would never work things out. Still, Caro wasn't known for her forgiving nature. Teylor had certainly learned that first-hand.

Danny tried to imagine what might have happened had the Nathan James returned to Norfolk as anticipated, if he and Caro had been thrown back together without the life-changing pandemic occurring. As much as Danny hated to admit it, he could imagine a set of circumstances where he and Caro never completely resolved their issues. Where a six month break turned into a year and then two and then ten, the more time that passed the more difficult it was for them to end the stalemate.

"I don't know," Danny admitted.

"There was a long pause. "It's funny. At heart, Ravit was a peacemaker. She could never understand why people kept fighting, why they couldn't find a way to get along. If she were here, she would tell me that I'm an idiot."

Another pause before Carlton added, his voice amused. "Maybe she's right."

 


	19. Caroline Green

 

"Thank you for the ride Zack." Caroline Green smiled at the young man, suppressing the overwhelming urge to roll her eyes. Ensign Zack Johnson was just so _earnest_.

"I'll escort you inside, ma'am," Zack said as he reached for the door handle. Although she wanted nothing more than to tell Zack to shove it, that she was perfectly capable of walking the twenty feet to the front door by herself, Caro simply nodded, keeping her mouth closed. This – the personal guard – wasn't about her. No, this was about keeping everyone in the Green house safe.

And while Caro might be willing to put her own life at risk, she would never again let her bad judgment jeopardize others.

_A week ago_

_Caro was at the nurses' station updating charts when a crash sounded down the hall. Head snapping up, she turned, planning to give whoever was responsible a tongue-lashing for causing a ruckus at five-thirty in the morning, until she saw who it was. Lieutenant Zaya._

_Unlike the majority of the military personnel here in Norfolk, who Caro generally found to be underfoot and unhelpful, she and Zaya had become something of friends. They bumped into each other frequently as Zaya, who was serving as a translator, swung by the house to update Danny on the negotiations with the Chinese government. Plus, Zaya had earned Caro's respect when he helped Joanne and Chris (as well as Kara and Frankie and hundreds of others) escape from the processing center where they were being held hostage._

" _Is there a problem Zaya?"_

" _Admiral Chandler asked me to find you and bring you to headquarters at the earliest opportunity, Ms. Green," Zaya replied formally, his expression solemn._

_Caro's heart froze. God, something had happened to Teylor. She didn't bother beating around the bush. "Is he okay?"_

_Zaya stared at her for a full minute, both of them silent, before he caved. "Petty Officer Cruz is fine. Lieutenant Green reported intruders at the house approximately thirty minutes ago. Admiral Chandler and Commander Slattery are both at the scene."_

_Caro's fingers tightened on the counter, the space around her turning black as she conjured up images of Frankie and Chris and Kara and Joanne lying dead on the hallway floor, their vacant eyes staring up at her accusingly. Wondering why she hadn't helped them. Why she hadn't saved them. Why she was alive and they were dead. The way the eyes had stared at her during those last horrible days in Cornwall, when Caro had watched neighbor after neighbor succumb to the most torturous deaths, only to realize, too late, that it had been poison rather than the virus that had felled them. That her blind trust in Tom – her friend, her surrogate brother – had led to the deaths of hundreds._

_She couldn't go through that again; losing those around her, not to the virus, but to human cruelty. Only this time would be worse. This time she would have to look Danny in the eyes and tell him that she was alive when his wife and baby were gone._

_She would rather be dead herself._

_Caro didn't see Zaya move but suddenly his hand was on her arm, his eyes gazing at her concerned. "They're fine, Caro. Everyone is fine. Admiral Chandler wants you to stay on base while they investigate. That's all."_

_Not caring that her shift lasted another ninety minutes or that she hadn't finished updating her charts, Caro headed immediately towards base headquarters. Unfortunately, due to the early hour, the building was almost empty and nobody seemed to know any more than Zaya about what was going on at the Green home. Caro spent the next hour pacing, growing more and more agitated, until Commander Andrea Garnett finally arrived and called Caro into her office._

_Caro and Andrea had not had the smoothest of relationships, starting from the moment in Connecticut when Caro (still in shock that Danny was alive) made the unilateral decision to join the TAC team on their mission to Hartford rather than return to New London to debrief Andrea on the Massachusetts Alliance. In the months since, the two women had hammered out a grudging truce, mostly for Kara's sake. Andrea was a frequent visitor to the Green house and, as Danny had once not-so-subtly informed Caro, fighting with the woman his wife viewed as a second mother was a pretty good way for Caro to find herself homeless._

_As Andrea laid out what had happened that morning in a few short sentences, Caro found herself growing more, rather than less, agitated. Even if this man was who he claimed to be – which Caro conceded seemed likely given the Kara had recognized him from photographs – why had he knocked on the door so early? Why hadn't he left once he realized the home was occupied? And why hadn't he stopped at the processing facilities where all new arrivals to Norfolk were directed? Nothing about the situation made sense to Caro, and she apparently was not the only one who thought so._

" _We can't charge him with anything because there appears to be an innocent explanation for the incident. But to be safe, Lieutenant Ward is going to stay at the house until Green and Cruz have returned. Ward will escort Kara to and from the base and I am going to assign someone to be available to transport you and Chris as well."_

" _I don't need a guard," Caro began, only to be cut off by Andrea's raised hand._

" _If this were just about you Ms. Green, you could do whatever you wanted. But this is not about you. Someone could easily overpower you and take your key or hold you hostage to gain entry. Do you want to take that risk?"_

_Caro closed her eyes, drawing in a deep breath. No, she didn't. Not after Cornwall. Not when there was already so much blood on her hands._

" _Fine. But it better not be Zach Johnson. That guy drives me absolutely up a wall."_

Present

Caro stopped at the entrance to the kitchen, amused by the domesticity of the scene before her. Kara and Eddie sat at the table drinking coffee while Tyler demolished a blow of cereal and Frankie batted at the toys on her bouncer with dainty feet.

"You two look like an old married couple. Should Danny be worried?"

Kara cast an amused glance at Eddie. "Nope. Pretty sure Eddie here has his eye on someone else."

Caro snorted. _That wasn't likely_. The idea of Eddie with anyone other than Amber was, well, totally preposterous.

"Oh," Kara added, "I didn't see you last night to pass along the message. Teylor is going to call around 2100. Hopefully you don't have to work."

"No, I have tonight off," Caro replied, a smile creeping across her face. Teylor had never called her from the road before. Besides the fact that the satellite phone was supposed to be used for official business only, it was awkward talking to your boyfriend while four other guys listened in. "Anyway, I'm beat. I'll see you later?"

Escaping down the hall, Caro took a quick shower before pulling the curtains closed and crawling into bed. But, despite her exhaustion, sleep eluded her. Rolling onto her back, Caro stared at the ceiling, wondering what had prompted this call from Teylor.

Caro had always known that people considered her difficult and, for the most part, she hadn't cared. She had a loving family, close girlfriends, and never had any problem attracting male attention when she wanted some. Still, Caro was not blind to her flaws. She was well aware that she had a stubborn streak.

A stubborn streak that had almost destroyed her relationship with Teylor Cruz twice now.

_Camp Lejeune – 2.5 Years Ago_

" _I need to check on Jones but I'm free later if you want to get together," Teylor said as he finished dressing. Caro propped her head on her hand, enjoying the sight of Teylor pulling the shirt over his head, muscles rippling. Last night had been amazing. Not just the sex, although it had certainly made her top three, but the entire evening._

_Although Caro would never admit it to Danny, she didn't actually mind his friends. Smith was about as offensive as a bump on a log, and Berchem could be damn funny. She and Frankie clashed, but that was more a reflection of the tension that existed between Frankie and Rebecca, who really didn't like each other. No, Caro would not have come on this visit (no matter how much Rebecca begged) if she really disliked Danny's friends – something that Danny no doubt knew but never mentioned._

_Such was the nature of their relationship._

_But Teylor, well, he was different. Unlike 99% of the guys Caro had met, he hadn't been turned off by her directness or her sarcasm – or terrified of her brother. Talking with Teylor, playing pool, horsing around at the bar. Everything about last night had been so easy, so effortless. Caro had every intention of repeating the experience as soon as possible._

" _I have dinner plans with Danny and Rebecca but we should be done by midnight. I could give you a call then," Caro said, smiling at the way Teylor's jeans pulled tight across his ass as he bent over to retrieve his shoes._

_He sat down on the bed next to her. "Or I could join you for dinner."_

" _And exactly what excuse would I give Danny for letting you join us when I told him that his team wasn't welcome?" Caro teased. The refusal to hang out with the guys had been done at Rebecca's urging, of course, so she wouldn't have to see Frankie._

_Teylor shrugged. "Tell him the truth."_

_That got Caro's attention. "You want me to tell my brother that we had sex?"_

" _No, not that," Teylor replied with a chuckle. He leaned forward to capture her mouth in a brief kiss, pulling away before Caro could even begin to respond. "Just tell him that we hit it off and want to spend a little more time together."_

" _Ha!" Caro couldn't stop herself from laughing. "Believe me, you do not want to open that can of worms. Danny's my older brother. He'll probably spend dinner quizzing you on your intentions."_

" _He's going to find out sooner or later if we keep seeing each other," Teylor pointed out._

_Now it was Caro's turn to shrug. "Not if we don't tell him."_

_Teylor straightened, all lightheartedness disappearing from his face. "Caroline. Your brother and I are friends. He's also my superior officer. If we are going to see each other again I have to tell him what is going on. It's the only honorable thing to do."_

_Caro wasn't sure what exactly about Taylor's statement pissed her off the most. Perhaps it was his tone of voice or the suggestion that her approach was less than honorable. Or maybe it was the idea that Taylor wasn't willing to put a relationship with her above his friendship with Danny. But whatever the reason, Caro saw red._

_Drawing herself to a seated position, pulling the sheet with her and wishing, for the first time all morning, that she wasn't naked, Caro looked Teylor in the eyes._

" _Well then, I guess the solution is that we just won't see each other again."_

Present

If Caro could go back in time, she would shake herself for being so stupid. Stupid not just because she was throwing away a relationship with Teylor, but also for thinking that she could make a clean break.

Which, of course, had not been the case.

Over the next year the two had been thrown together regularly, anytime Caro was visiting Danny. The first time they ran into each other, Teylor had actually tried to apologize, to smooth things over, but Caro had driven him off with a few pointed comments about his manhood (or lack thereof). The next time their paths crossed Teylor had kept his distance, nursing his Pepsi on the other side of the room, as far away from Caro as was physically possible. Unfortunately that had given Caro an unobstructed view of Teylor as the waitress approached and handed him a free shot, courtesy of the blonde at the other end of the bar. As he lifted the drink towards the woman, nodding his thanks before tossing it back, Caro had boiled with fury. Fury that another woman had bought him a drink. Fury that he had accepted it. Fury that he was doing shots without her. Claiming a horrible headache, Caro had ditched Danny and Rebecca and returned to the hotel, ignoring the tears that threatened to escape her eyes as she imagined what Teylor and the blonde were doing at that very moment.

When they ran into him the next day, it had been all Caro could do not to scratch his eyes out.

Then the Red Flu had hit. And number two on her list of regrets – right after the fight with Danny – had been how she left things with Teylor. As the months passed and the world fell apart around her, Caro had found herself thinking about Teylor more and more, wondering where he was and what he was doing. One minute she would imagine him on the Nathan James, together with Danny, somewhere safe, far away from any threat of the virus. The next she would picture his lifeless corpse, body riddled with sores, being tossed overboard for burial at sea. He became a staple in her dreams, that night in Lejeune playing over and over again in her mind until she woke with his name on her lips. And then there were the other dreams – the dreams of Teylor coming to save her, sweeping her into his arms, and telling her that they had found somewhere that was safe – somewhere that the Red Flu could not touch. Dreams that, even when she was dreaming, were too far-fetched to believe.

That day outside Cornwall when Teylor had walked up and kissed her, Caro had been convinced that she was hallucinating. The Red Flu caused delusions, after all, and a delusion seemed far more likely than what her eyes were telling her. That Danny and Teylor were both alive. But it hadn't been a hallucination. It had been real. Caro had been given a second chance.

A second chance which she quite promptly blew.

_God the fight had been stupid._ Even now Caro couldn't understand why she had reacted the way she did to Teylor's innocent question. What kind of woman got upset that the man she loved and wanted to spend her life with felt the same way? Why couldn't she rejoice in the fact that, despite the insanity of the world they lived in, Teylor wanted to do things the right way? Why couldn't she be like every other woman and want the ring and the white wedding and the honeymoon?

At least this time she had been smart enough to walk away before she completely wrecked things. And there had been no obvious fallout from the fight. That evening they had gone to Tom and Rachel's wedding together as planned. They had come home together and nobody had slept on the couch. There had even been a nice round of makeup sex. But the hurt, the tension, the distance between them had remained.

It was why Caro had taken the somewhat desperate step of asking Kara to give Teylor the piece of paper where she had written her ring size. Because if that wasn't enough to smooth things over Caro was, quite frankly, screwed.


	20. Ken (Tex) Nolan

 

"I will need a couple of hours," Danielle said apologetically as they pulled up before a three-story brick building that had clearly been built at a time when functionality, rather than aesthetics, ruled. She looked at the group surrounding her. "I should speak with a few people about transfering my duties and I want to have a chance to say goodbye. There's no reason for all of you to stay."

"Not like we have anything better to do," Tex replied. Danny had headed downtown half an hour ago with Wolf and Teylor to meet with Colonel Browder, leaving the rest of them twiddling their thumbs. When Danielle announced her intent to go to the school in anticipation of leaving Chicago in the next couple of days, both Carlton and Cameron had jumped on the idea, hoping to visit with some of their former teachers. Faced with the possibility of being stuck inside the house alone with Alisha and Rick, neither of whom was especially good company right now, Tex had managed to talk the two of them into tagging along. Which is why all six of them were now sitting in front of a building that could just as easily have been a jail as a school. "Besides, I have a teenager of my own. Curious to see what a fully-functional high school looks like these days."

"I didn't know you had children," Danielle replied.

"Yup. A daughter. Kat. She's fifteen. She's doing an internship on the Nathan James and keeping up with her schooling through an independent study program." Tex heard the note of pride in this voice. Despite everything Kathleen had gone through, she was excelling in Norfolk. "Head of engineering think she's got some real natural talent. The Commodore is trying to get a program up and running back in Norfolk. Find himself some new engineers. Kat's hoping to be in the first class."

"At fifteen? She's so young," Danielle responded uncertainly.

"We have a lot of kids arriving in Norfolk alone, their families dead or missing," Carlton explained. "We've been setting the older teens up with home schooling and internships, trying to keep them out of trouble. Green runs a program sort of like boot camp. Kids as young as fourteen have applied."

"I've been helping Kara train another group on the various operational and tactical stations on a ship," Alisha added. "Admiral Chandler won't put anyone under eighteen out in the field, but it helps keep the kids busy and teaches them useful skills even if they don't end up joining the Navy."

"So many orphans," Danielle sighed. "We've been fortunate here. When the school was turned into a safe zone many of the parents ended up here with their kids. Close to 70% of our students have at least one surviving parent, and we have been able to locate extended family for most of the rest. You may want to talk to Coach Bouchard. He's taken charge of the older kids who we are still trying to place. You might be able to trade ideas on how to keep them engaged."

"Mr. Bouchard survived?" Carlton's voice held a surprised, but pleased, note.

Danielle smiled. "Sure did. You can probably find him in the gym. I'll meet up with you later."

"I'll come with you, Danielle," Alisha spoke up. "I want to know a little more about how you are locating family members, see if you have any ideas that we haven't tried for the kids in Norfolk."

As the two women turned down another hall, Tex strolled after Carlton and Cameron, Rick trailing behind.

"Coach!" Carlton waved at a man in his mid-fifties who stood on the far side of the gym, surrounded by group of teenage boys.

The man turned, shock dissolving into a broad smile. "Carlton Burk. As I live and breathe. I should have known that you were way too tough to get taken out by the flu."

The man jogged across the room to wrap his arms around Carlton in a tight hug and Tex thought he might have seen a glimmer of tears.

"Only here for a couple of days. I went by the house and found Cameron and Danielle. She told us you were still here so we came by to say hello," Carlton explained, his voice more relaxed than Tex had heard in months, if ever.

"Cameron." There was no mistaking the chill in Coach Bouchard's voice, catching Tex's attention. Danny had assured all of them that the issue between Carlton and his brother was personal and did not reflect on Cameron's professional abilities, but Tex would bet a large amount of his now worthless paycheck that the man in front of them knew exactly what the problem between the Burk boys was about – and that Coach was firmly on Team Carlton. The man turned towards Tex and Rick, his smile returning as he extended his hand. "Jeffrey Bouchard. A pleasure to meet you gentlemen."

Tex shook the offered hand. "Tex Nolan. And this is Erik Miller, who isn't much older than some of the kids you have here. Certainly makes me feel my years."

"Don't let him fool you," Carlton added. "Tex can tangle with best of them. Rick too. Never have to worry about watching my back with these guys around."

Tex was caught off guard by what was, coming from Carlton, high praise. But he had to wonder at Carlton's intended audience. Whether it was a compliment aimed at Tex and Rick, or a warning aimed at Cameron.

One of the older teenagers approached, false bravado plastered across his face, clearly put up to this by the other kids. Tex wondered if they had drawn straws to figure out who to send over here. "Excuse me, sir, but are you Lieutenant Carlton Burk? Coach here said you were on the Nathan James. That's the ship that found the cure for the Red Flu."

"I am," Carlton confirmed.

Impressed murmurs echoed through the room as the roughly thirty teenagers reacted to the news. Tex suspected that this visit would be the highlight of their year, a story that would be told over-and-over again until it became larger than life. The story of meeting the hometown boy who helped save the world.

Maybe it would give these kids – who had already lost so much – some hope for a better future.

"Badass man," the teen replied, smiling.

"Language Liam," Coach Bouchard scolded.

"Sorry, sir," Liam replied, abashed.

Bouchard turned back towards Carlton. "Couple of the kids here are thinking about joining up when they turn eighteen, including Liam here."

"Happy to answer any questions that you guys have," Carlton replied. "Even better, you can ask Miller. He can tell you what being the junior guy on the team is like."

Tex hung back as the crowd surrounded Carlton and Rick. If Tex hadn't known better, he would have said this was no different than any other Navy recruiting trip, sending a highly respected officer back to his hometown to pump up enthusiasm for enlisting.

"It's nice to see them so engaged," Bouchard said as he joined Tex against the wall, as far away from Cameron as possible. "It's been tough for them, dealing with so much loss. They're too old to be satisfied with simple answers and too young to handle it on their own, like many of them are trying to do."

"We have a lot of kids coming to Norfolk, no family left, fending for themselves. These kids are lucky to have you. They'll probably never know how much," Tex replied.

"How old are yours?"

Tex gave him a hard look.

"Just seems like something a dad would say."

Tex rarely shared anything personal, especially with strangers, but he felt compelled to answer Couch Bouchard. A man who was doing for these kids what Court had done for Kat. Taken care of them when their parents could not.

"She's fifteen," Tex admitted. "I wasn't there when the virus hit. It took me almost six months to get to her. I was lucky. Her riding coach let them stay on his farm and took care of her after her mom died."

"Is that who she is staying with now?" Bouchard asked.

"No, she stays with a close friend when I'm working." Tex paused, surprised by how easily the words rolled off his tongue. Sometime in the past year, Andrea Garnett had moved from the slightly scary red-head who ruled the engine room with an iron fist to a woman he trusted with his daughter. A woman who he knew would protect Kat with her own life, if necessary. A woman tormented by the knowledge that she had not been there when her own daughter needed her.

"Must be hard to be away from her," Bouchard spoke softly.

"It's not the first time," Tex replied, lifting his shoulders in a tiny shrug. "And chances are that it won't be the last."

_Three years ago_

" _When will you be here to pick up Kat?" Claire's voice was pleasant but firm as she changed the subject from the chitchat that Tex had been attempting to engage her in._

" _About that," Tex cleared his throat. "I'm not going to make it. Something came up. A work thing."_

" _Are you serious? It's been over a year, Ken. At the rate you're going Kat won't even remember you." Claire sounded exasperated._

" _She'll be fine. She has you, the most amazing mother in the world. And she has Tim. She says he's great. You guys made a decision about moving in together?"_

_Tex kept the conversation light even though the knowledge that Claire had moved on, was with another man, continued to tear at his heart._

" _Actually, Tim and I broke up. Not that it is any of your business - or the point of this conversation. You promised her that you would be here. You are going to have to tell her yourself why you won't."_

_Tex waited as Claire fetched Kat._

" _Hi Dad!" The thirteen-year-old's cheerful voice caused Tex to smile despite the conversation he was about to have. "I can't wait till you get here. Court is letting me muck out the stables in exchange for lessons. I'm getting pretty good. He said that while you're here you can come by and watch me ride."_

" _I'd love that Katie but..."_

" _Dadddd!" Katie groaned. "Nobody calls me Katie anymore!"_

" _Sorry sugar. I forget these things," Tex replied, wondering when his little girl had gotten so grown up._

" _Well just as long as nobody else hears you," Katie replied._

" _It can be our secret," Tex swore._

" _So when do you get here?" Katie asked._

_Tex sighed. "I'm sorry honey, I'm not going to be able to make it. Work, you know. I just can't get away."_

" _It's okay Dad. I know how important your work is. A lot of kids at school have parents in the military. They don't get to see them much either."_

_Tex's heart broke a little at the resignation in Katie's voice, the sadness. This was not the first time Tex had cancelled a visit last minute._

" _I promise you that as soon as I free up I will make it up to you. How does Disney World sound?"_

" _Dad! I'm almost thirteen! I'm not a baby!"_

" _Is that your way of suggesting Busch Gardens instead?"_

_A few minutes of chit-chat later, a knock on the door recalled Tex to where he was._

" _I have to go now, Katie, but I'll give you a call as soon as I can. You make sure to tell this Court guy that he better treat my baby girl well."_

" _I love you, Dad."_

" _Love you too, sweetheart."_

_Tex leaned to set the phone on the nightstand, groaning when the movement sent a sharp spasm through his abdomen. Looking down, Tex wondered if he had popped a stitch. That would earn him a scolding - another one - from the doctor._

_Damn insurgents._

_None of them had seen the ambush until it was too late. Still, they had been lucky. At least nobody had died._

" _Are you ready for your therapy, Mr. Nolan?"_

_Struggling to shift his legs out of the bed, Tex picked up his crutches. Once he got himself all right again, he would make this all up to Katie._


	21. Carlton Burk

 

Carlton lit a third votive, setting it down on the candle rack with hundreds of others, his eyes taking in the pictures tacked to the wall before him. Pictures of those who had fled here, hoping for sanctuary as the virus spread faster and deadlier than anyone could have imagined. Pictures of those who had died here, a safe zone turned hospital turned memorial.

"This was where you went to church as a kid?" Wolf asked as he lit his own candle. On the other side of the sanctuary, Teylor, Rick and Alisha were doing the same. Danny and Tex had disappeared, and Carlton suspected that they were in the choir loft, keeping an eye on Cameron.

"Yup. We went every Sunday, rain or shine or snow. Mama made us wear a suit every time. And no clip-on ties either. Pops always said that you weren't a man until you knew how to tie your own tie."

Carlton smiled sadly. Marion had been a devoted mother but, after Carlton and Cameron left home, she had spent more and more time involved in church activities – assisting with the flowers, serving on the church council, and teaching Sunday School. In recent years the church had become the center of her life.

It was fitting, then, that this is where she had died, where both of his parents had died.

"Ravit would have approved. Of making you go to church every week. She attended synagogue regularly when she was home. She liked the sense of community."

Carlton looked down at the votive he had lit in Ravit's memory, wondering whether Wolf was right. Probably. The Aussie had known Ravit far better than Carlton had, having spent months alone with her in the Virginia woods. Religion was one of a million topics that Carlton and Ravit had never had a chance to discuss. One of a million conversations that he had put off, somehow believing, despite the odds, that they had all the time in the world.

_Six months ago_

" _What will you do after?"_

_Ravit's question came out of nowhere, startling Carlton. They had been lying on the deck for the better part of thirty minutes, and this was the first time that Ravit had spoken. Carlton rolled to the side, resting his head on his folded arm as he looked in the direction where he assumed her face was, unable to pick out anything in the inky darkness._

" _After what?"_

" _After we sink the sub. After we get to New Orleans. After we finish spreading the cure. Take your pick."_

" _I don't know," Carlton answered honestly. "Are you going back to Israel?"_

" _No. My family is gone. There's nothing left for me in Israel." There was no hesitation in Ravit's voice, only sad resignation._

" _You could always come with me. Back to Chicago. My momma makes the best damn strawberry rhubarb pie that you have ever eaten."_

_Carlton could already imagine the look on his mother's face if he arrived in Chicago with Ravit in tow. A combination of shock and confusion and joy that her baby boy might finally be settling down. He gave it five minutes before she mentioned the possibilities of grandbabies. Carlton knew that Ravit would win over Marion the same way she had won over everyone on the Nathan James (even Kara) – with her passion, her humor, her sincerity, and her big heart. His Israeli jumping bean, as Carlton had come to think of her._

" _I'm not exactly the type of girl you bring home for dinner, Carlton," Ravit responded archly, but underneath the teasing tone, Carlton caught the note of sadness in her voice._

" _Hey, don't sell my mama short. She'll have you wiped into shape in no time."_

" _You think I need to get into shape, do you?"_

_Carlton heard Ravit move half a second before she was on top of him, her legs straddling his hips, her arms on either side of his shoulders. Ravit lowered her face until their breath mingled, their noses mere centimeters apart in the darkness, and it had taken every fiber of Carlton's being not to close the short distance, to merge their lips, to roll her over and pin her to the deck as he kissed her properly. Carlton forced himself to grasp Ravit's forearms and move her to the side as he sat up._

" _Is that really what you want to do?"_

_Carlton took a deep breath. "Two more days, baby girl, two more days."_

Present

Carlton used his thumb to flick away a piece of wax dripping down the side of the votive. He and Ravit may not have discussed religion but Carlton knew, at core, that they believed in the same things. Honor. Respect. Loyalty. Truthfulness.

_All the values that his brother had betrayed._

"I asked her to come to Chicago with me," Carlton admitted.

"I know," Wolf replied. "She told me she was considering it. Something about your mother's famous pie. I told her she should go."

The corners of Carlton's mouth curled at the thought of Ravit sitting in the kitchen with his mother. She probably would have eaten the entire pie.

"Do you guys go everywhere together?" Cameron's question shattered the pleasant image Carlton was constructing in his mind.

"We generally try to piss solo," Tex retorted. "Miller over there is still working on his aim."

"Tex is an acquired taste," Danny added when Cameron's eyes bugged out slightly.

"So, who is in charge of this crew, Carlton? You or Lieutenant Green?" Cameron asked, his eyes passing back and forth between Danny and Carlton. Despite his determination not to let his brother bother him, Carlton stiffened. Since their falling out, Cameron had taken to throwing his weight around in less than subtle ways, and this was undoubtedly a pointed reminder for Carlton that Cameron, as a lieutenant commander, outranked them all. But if Cameron thought that he was going to take charge of this mission, he had another thing coming.

"I am," Danny responded bluntly. "You have a problem with that, you can lodge a complaint with Admiral Chandler. We have a couple more stops before we head back to Norfolk but you're more than welcome to join us."

Carlton bit back a smile. He sometimes forgot that while he had been dealing with Cameron's petty tactics for the past six years, Danny had been dealing with his sister's far less subtle insults for the past twenty-eight.

"Are you inviting me to join the team?" Cameron's voice was neutral, something that would never have happened if he and Carlton have been having this discussion.

"Nope. While I'm sure that you are a fine officer, I don't know you from Adam, and that means I don't trust you yet. You want a place on the team, you have to earn it."

"Don't worry," Tex said with a grin. "Danny Boy's been a teddy bear since he became a daddy. Only thing he really cares about is getting his ass home in one piece. Oh, and try not to snore. Lack of sleep makes him grumpy."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Two hours later, Carlton was in his bedroom packing up a few things when there was a familiar knock at the door. "Come."

"Hey Carl." Cameron stepped over the threshold, closing the door behind him. Carlton watched as his brother moved around the room, fingers skimming over the knickknacks and bookcases, all covered with a thin layer of dust.

Marion would have been horrified by the state of the house.

"I'm sorry, about Kara," Cameron said finally, not looking at his brother.

"Sorry?" Carlton frowned. "She's okay now. Even earned a silver star volunteering for the vaccine trial."

"Sorry that she married that asshole running the TAC team," Cameron clarified.

Amused that Danny had gotten under Cameron's skin so easily, it took Carlton another minute to understand what Cameron was driving towards.

"Jesus," Carlton sighed. "I'm sure this is all Mama's fault but Kara and I were never more than friends, Cameron. I'm happy that she and Danny are together. He's a good man – and a good friend."

But Cameron wasn't ready to conceed the point. "I heard you. Talking to Australian guy – Taylor. You said you asked her to come to Chicago with you."

Carlton closed his eyes. He hadn't planned to discuss Ravit with Cameron. "We weren't talking about Kara. I ... lost someone. Someone I met after the virus hit. She died."

"The Red Flu?"

"No. Lost her in an explosion on an oil rig." Carlton's voice was flat.

"I'm sorry." Cameron cleared his throat. "What was she like?"

Carlton hesitated. This was the closest he had come to a personal conversation with his brother in years, and Carlton was mistrustful of Cameron's sudden interest in his life. But something Danny said the other night had stuck with Carlton. Living through this virus – this pandemic – had changed the dynamic between Danny and his sister. Maybe this was the opportunity he and Cameron needed to resolve things as well.

"She was a force of nature. Always two steps ahead, keeping me guessing about what she would do next. She was tough. But she could also be sweet as honey."

Cameron finally looked at Carlton. "I don't think I have ever heard you talk that way about a woman."

"She was special."

Ravit had brought a light into Carlton's life, filling a hole in his soul that he hadn't realized was empty, and then, just as quickly as she arrived, she was gone.

"You were right." Cameron blurted out the words as though they had been on the tip of his tongue.

"About what?"

"Jimmy."

" _What?"_

Cameron shook his head. "I thought I knew what I was doing, but I didn't. Tina, man, she was playing me and Jimmy and a dozen other guys all at once. While you were up in the Arctic in EMCON, I got slapped with papers demanding that I submit to a paternity test. Tina's last baby, well, it wasn't Jimmy's. She claimed that I was the dad."

Carlton felt sick, remembering the cold shoulder Cameron had received from Coach Boucard. "Were you?"

"Not a chance," Cameron said resolutely. "I hadn't seen Tina in years. It was just a way for her to hurt Jimmy. Let him know that she had been with his best friend."

"Did you talk to him?"

"Yeah. The DNA cleared me on the kid but I couldn't lie to Jimmy when he asked. Turns out that he knew about the other guys," Cameron grimaced, "but he never imagined that I was one of them."

Carlton couldn't think of a single non-judgmental thing to say, so he kept his mouth shut.

"And, of course, the whole thing came out when Tina and Jimmy split. Mama was heartbroken. Said she and Pops would never be able to show their face at church again."

Carlton could imagine his parents' humiliation at learning that their firstborn, their pride and joy, was involved in a paternity dispute with the assistant pastor and his wife. Other than losing one of her sons, it was probably Marion's worst nightmare.

"That was one of the last times I talked to her," Cameron added quietly. "Right before things got really bad here."

"Mama loved you Cameron. You know nothing would have ever changed that."

Cameron wiped the dust off a shelf with his palm. "The look on her face, after they found out. It was the way she looked the time she caught us smoking in the backyard. Not angry. Just disappointed. After that day she refused to talk about it, even when I tried to apologize."

Carlton winced. Marion had been an enthusiastic, animated person and Carlton could count on one hand the number of topics that she refused to discuss. Apparently Marion had been _really_ disappointed in Cameron.

"What happened to them – Jimmy and Tina and the kids?"

"Jimmy and the kids were at the church when everything went south," Cameron's voice cracked. "They didn't make it. No idea where Tina went. She told Jimmy she was moving in with the baby's daddy, but nobody seems to know who that was."

"I'm sorry, Cam." It was only once the words had slipped out that Carlton realized he had reverted to the nickname that he hadn't used in years. From the curve of his mouth, Cameron had noticed the same thing.

"I wish that things had been different. For both of us."

Carlton held his brother's gaze. "Me too."


	22. Teylor Cruz

 

"Seriously Green are you _purposely_ hitting every hole?"

Teylor bit back a grin at Tex's bitching. Danny's lead-foot driving style was more appropriate for off-roading or rock climbing than a paved road, but it wasn't just Danny's atrocious driving that was making this leg of the trip so much worse than the first two legs. Now that Cameron and Danielle had joined the group, they were riding five to a vehicle and the tighter accommodations made for significantly less comfort. Technically each of the Jeeps could seat eight, but at the moment the third seat was folded down to allow more room for supplies. Sarah's family estate was in a rural area of Wisconsin and nobody wanted to take the chance of running out of gas so, in addition to spare tires, chains, shovels, and spare parts for the plows, they were also carrying enough fuel to make it to Sarah's house and back to the Illinois border without refueling. Commander Garnett had been talking about alternative fuel sources, which would hopefully allow them greater range and reduce their dependence on gas (which was getting harder and harder to find). But nobody had been willing to try out her proposal of running their vehicles on cooking oil.

Danny had originally split the group in such a way that Cameron would be riding in the lead jeep with Rick, Tex and Alisha, but Carlton had asked Teylor to swap with Cameron at the last minute. Even more telling, Carlton had also pulled Danny aside when they stopped last night (a six hour trip pre-virus turned into an overnight excursion due to the weather and road conditions), and convinced him to let Cameron take a watch shift overnight.

"Do you people see what this road looks like," Danny replied, although he didn't sound particularly bothered by Tex's comment. "There's at least two feet of snow. Where is the next turn Alisha?"

"Should be about half a mile up the road," she said after checking her phone. In a stroke of luck, Alisha had managed to find an old email that Sarah had sent with directions to her family home. Because finding a house this remote with only a map would have been challenging, at best.

"When was the last time you were here?" Teylor asked, studying Alisha's face from the corner of his eye. He and Alisha had rarely crossed paths on the Nathan James, where their ranks and work assignments put them in different spheres. After spending the last couple of months basically living at the Green house, and running into Alisha regularly, Teylor would have said that he knew Alisha pretty well. But right now he had no idea what she was thinking.

"A couple months before we left for the Arctic," Alisha replied. "I came up just after Christmas. Sarah's family came here every summer, even after her dad was elected to the US Senate. Sarah loved how remote it was, how isolate. ' _The great, dark trees of the Big Woods stood all around the house, and beyond them were other trees and beyond them were more trees. As far as a man could go to the north in a day, or a week, or a month, there was nothing but woods.'_ "

Teylor tried, and failed, to imagine this place during the summer when it would be lush and green. From where he was sitting the trees looked black and dead, as though a massive fire had swept through the area and destroyed everything in its path.

"Pretty sure Pa Ingalls had the right idea when he moved the hell out of this place," Danny muttered.

"Oh my God, you actually read Little House in the Big Woods?" Alisha demanded.

Danny shrugged. "My mom used to read us chapter books at night when we were kids. Caro and I took turns picking them. It was her choice."

Hearing Caro's name brought a smile to Taylor's face. He had actually gotten to speak with her the night before they left for Wisconsin, something that he had never done before. Although the team always carried a satellite phone, and Kara and Danny had one at their house as well, it was impossible to have any type of real conversation with the guys (mostly Tex) cracking jokes in the background. But having his own hotel room in Chicago had made the option far more tempting.

Not that he and Caro had discussed anything personal. The conversation had focused mostly on their mutual friends and family. Teylor had told her about their visits to Ohio and Chicago, specifically focusing on the fact that Rick had found himself a girlfriend, and Caro had given him an update on the break-in at Danny and Kara's house. Despite Caro's suspicions otherwise, Teylor felt comfortable with Slattery's conclusion that it was all a misunderstanding. He wasn't stupid enough to tell Caro that fact, of course, or suggest that she sounded a bit unreasonable when she listed all of the reasons that she doubted Neil Shaw's story (which included disliking his name). After what Caro had gone through in Cornwall, well, she had earned the right to be a little paranoid.

Neither one had mentioned the fight, or the slip of paper that Caro had routed to him through Kara and Danny – the one that was currently sitting in his front shirt pocket. The conversation had been ordinary, even banal at times, no different than a dozen other conversations they had engaged in at the end of the day in Norfolk, but that very normalcy had been comforting. For the first time in days, Teylor had felt himself relax, the tension that had ridden him since he left Norfolk finally dissipating.

_Two days ago_

" _I should go," Caro said half-heartedly as the conversation wound down. "I promised Kara that I would watch Frankie tonight so she could sleep."_

" _Remember what happened last time you tried that? Teylor asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "She screamed all night. Nobody got any sleep."_

" _She was teething," Caro countered._

" _No skin off my back. I have a nice quiet room to myself," Teylor replied. Although truthfully he would have put up with a screaming baby all night if it meant seeing Caro in person, getting a chance to talk about everything that remained unsaid._

" _You can laugh all you want but you may want to practice a little yourself. I have no intention of being as nice as Kara and taking all the night shifts. You should plan on splitting middle of the night wake-ups 50/50. Actually, 60/40. You'll owe me for being pregnant."_

" _Is this your way of telling me something?" Teylor teased, knowing that Caro was far too direct to beat around the bush if she actually was pregnant._

_Caro gave a long sigh, one he recognized as false annoyance. "Unlike my brother, I do know how birth control works. Although when the time comes, I might ask Slattery to tell you the news, just for shits and giggles. I feel like he would bring an appropriate amount of shock and terror to the situation."_

_Teylor was whistling as he ended the call several minutes later, an image of Caro holding a baby boy with jet black hair like his papa and green-blue eyes like his mama burned into his mind._

Present

Two days later, Teylor still couldn't get that image out of his head.

As though reading Teylor's mind, Danny turned to look at him. "Speaking of my sister, I am supposed to pass along the message that Frankie slept like an angel for Caro and it must have been your ugly mug scaring her last time."

"Well Caro told _me_ that Eddie is getting pretty darn comfortable in your house. You may want to hurry back before he moves in permanently," Teylor retorted.

That drew a round of laughter.

"Who knows, maybe Eddie-boy will find himself a hot sugar momma," Tex chimed in. "We're on a roll. Green is married and Cruz is living with Caro. Next thing you know Miller will be tying the knot."

Rick looked both distinctly uncomfortable, and distinctly red, at Tex's comment. "Nicole and I are just friends."

"No woman agrees to move from Ohio to Virginia for a _friend_ , Rick," Teylor pointed out.

"Oh, Miller, you have so much to learn about women," Tex shook his head. "But lucky for you, I am here to guide you. You know me, I'm a softie. I just love seeing people get together."

"Sarah and I had been talking about marriage," Alisha said quietly. "We had booked a trip to Paris on my last leave and I had the proposal all planned out. We would go to the top of the Eiffel Tower and I would ask her to marry me. It such a cliché, I know, but she would have loved it. I actually bought the ring. Then I was transferred to the Nathan James and my leave was cut short and we had to postpone our trip. I guess we'll never see Paris now."

_Thanks to Ruskov and his missiles_ , the unspoken words hung in the air. Danny was the first to respond. "Paris might be out, but Sarah will be so happy to see you that she won't care whether it is in France or Wisconsin or Virginia."

"Maybe." Alisha sounded doubtful and Teylor had to wonder exactly what Alisha was worried about. Whether she was afraid of finding out that Sarah was dead – or that she was alive, which would mean figuring out how to handle the relationship that had developed between Alisha and Val over the past several months. Teylor didn't understand what Alisha saw in the nutty conspiracy theorist but he also wasn't one to judge. Pretty much the entire team thought he was cracked for dating Caro. There was just something … irresistible … about a little bit of craziness.

Silence fell, broken minutes later when Alisha sat straight up. "That's the road there. Strange, though, I don't remember a fence."

As they got closer it became clear that the fence was more in the nature of a wall which extended well into the woods, although there was a gate which presumably allowed access to the Hansen estate. Tex and Teylor followed Danny out of the vehicle to determine whether the gate could be opened manually. Unfortunately, it was quickly clear that there was no getting through that gate, or the wall, with the equipment that they had on hand. The gate did have a communication system, however.

"Here goes nothing," Danny said with a shrug as he pushed the button. "Hello? Anyone there?"

A full minute passed with no answer and Teylor was wondering how long they should wait out here in the cold before trying to find an alternative entrance when a security camera above their heads moved.

Encouraged, Danny pressed the button again. "This is Lieutenant Danny Green. I have Lieutenant Alisha Granderson with me. We're looking for Sarah Hansen."

Danny waved towards the vehicle, and Alisha climbed out. The camera moved until it had a clear line of sight to Alisha. With no warning, the gate began to creak open, fighting against the weight of the snow drifts behind it, the guys each grabbing a shovel to help the process along.

As they returned to the jeep, Danny hit his mic to speak to Carlton. "We're proceeding through the gate. Head back two clicks and stay frosty. And leave the channel open."

Alisha stared intently ahead as a large house came into view, her hands gripping the edge of the seat so tightly that her knuckles turned white. Alisha had described their destination as Sarah's family home, but in Teylor's view the "house" they were quickly approaching would more accurately be described as a mansion.

"Someone is here. There's smoke coming out of that chimney," Teylor pointed out.

As they parked in front of the house and exited the jeep, two figures appeared on the porch, both wearing full containment suits. No matter how often it happened, Teylor still found the sight jarring. One held up a syringe.

"If you want to enter, we will need to check your blood."

Well, _that_ was a little different.

"Happy to oblige but there's no need. We have the cure with us." Danny gestured towards Tex, who held up the large CDC stamped container.

"Our orders are to check you for the Red Flu before you go any further, sir," the man replied, identifying himself as military even though no introductions had been made.

"Be my guest," Danny replied, following the men into the house. As Teylor stepped through the door he was surprised to find that the room had been fitted as a decontamination chamber similar to what Doctor Scott had established on the Nathan James. Clearly they had stumbled onto something bigger than a safehouse here. Senator Hansen had been a well-liked and well-respected politician, but even as a United States Senator he wouldn't have ranked this level of protection. Could this be an alternative lab that wasn't on the original list they had obtained from the White House?

The minutes dragged by as the two men took the blood samples and disappeared, presumably to test them. Even Tex couldn't seem to think of an appropriate joke.

When the men finally returned, their masks have been removed. The taller man spoke. "Please come with us."

Teylor wasn't sure what he was expecting as they cleared the decontamination chamber, but it _definitely_ wasn't the man standing directly in front of them. Teylor barely noticed as a willowy red-headed threw herself into Alisha's arms with a sob, his full attention fixed on the man before him.

Gregory Samuels. The Secretary of State.

And number five on the list of presidential succession.


	23. Alisha Granderson

 

Alisha had just enough time to register red flowing locks and a tear-streaked face before Sarah crashed into her with a muffled cry. Mind still processing what was happening, only half believing that what she was seeing was real, Alisha lifted her arms almost automatically to return Sarah's crushing embrace, which was making it difficult for Alisha to breathe. Breathing, however, seemed secondary to confirming what all of her senses were now telling her.

_Sarah had survived. Somehow, by some miracle, she wasn't one of the billions of victims of the Red Flu._

"You're alive." Sarah's words were muffled against Alisha's shoulder and she drew back to clasp Alisha's face between her hands, staring at her intently, as though Sarah too was having trouble trusting that this was real. Alisha drank in the sight, the subtle changes in Sarah's face – it was thinner, paler that Alisha recalled, with new lines around her eyes – a reminder that it had been eighteen months since they last saw each other.

Pulling Sarah close again, Alisha buried her head in the arch of Sarah's neck, smelling the delicate scent of her shampoo. "You have no idea how much I missed you."

"Did you succeed? Did you find the primordial strain? Were you able to develop a vaccine?" Alisha's attention was caught by the anxious demand from Senator Hansen, and she turned her head slightly to catch a glimpse of the man she had always imagined would be her father-in-law someday. Unlike Sarah, Robert Hansen appeared to have aged twenty years since the last time Alisha saw him, the small wrinkles on his face having settled into thick creases.

"We did and we do," Danny confirmed. "Actually, Doctor Scott was able to develop a cure that also works as a vaccine. We've been traveling for months now, distributing it around the United States."

"You have a cure?" Sarah gasped, her fingernails digging into Alisha's forearms.

"We do." Alisha's focus returned to Sarah, seeing shock and disbelief replaced by joy as Sarah realized what it meant. _It was over_. The sickness. The death. The isolation. _It was all over._

"You didn't hear our broadcasts?" Danny asked.

Senator Hansen frowned, perhaps picking up the note of skepticism in Danny's voice. "We picked up a few signals from people mentioning a cure, but we had no way of verifying it. We've been waiting for news from a reliable source that it was safe to return." He turned to Alisha. "Amy was supposed to let us know once your ship arrived and what progress had been made towards developing a vaccine. When we stopped hearing from her several months ago, I feared the worst."

An icy chill interrupted the glow Alisha had been basking in for the last several minutes. "My mother died in Baltimore."

"I was afraid of that," Senator Hansen replied solemnly. "I begged Amy to join us here but she was determined to stay in Baltimore where she could contact you once you got back from the Arctic. You were all she could think about."

"You were aware of the Nathan James' mission then?" Danny asked, no doubt in part to change the topic.

It was Gregory Samuels who responded, his deep voice taking immediate command of the room. "As the Secretary of State, I was aware of the Nathan James' mission from inception. We lost contact, however, shortly after your departure from the Arctic. We knew that you had been attacked by a splinter Russian group and had to assume the worst. That's when we made the decision to retreat here."

"Exactly right, Mr. President," Senator Hansen added, giving Danny a sharp look. "As I'm sure you understand, keeping the president safe had to be our number one priority."

Gregory Samuels turned back to Danny. "I imagine that you have established some sort of safe base of operations? I will need to contact them, of course, to figure out the best way to proceed."

Danny hesitated, and Alisha understood his discomfort. There was no easy way to tell a man who believed himself to be the President of the United States that another man had been filling that role for the past six months, making critical decisions concerning the restoration of the country and recreation of the government.

"We have re-established military bases in Norfolk, San Diego, Chicago, and St. Louis – which has become the new civilian capital under President Michener's government."

Alisha sensed more than saw the stiffening in both Gregory Samuels and Robert Hansen at Danny's referenced to _President_ Michener. Samuels was the first to recover. "I'm happy to hear that Jeffrey survived and has been taking active steps to rebuild. Housing development was his area of expertise, after all, and I'm certain that he has made significant progress. If you will connect me to him, I'm sure we have much to discuss."

As Senator Hansen led the way towards another room, presumably where the communication equipment was located, Sarah grabbed Alisha's arm. "Come with me to my room so we can talk."

Peeling away from the group, the two women headed up the stairs, passing several people who Alisha didn't recognize on the way, as well as additional security personnel.

"How many people do you have here?" Alisha asked.

"Just over a hundred. Everything seemed to happen so quickly. One minute we were going about our days like normal and then the President and Vice President were dead. After the Speaker of the House died and the President of the Senate got sick, my father approached President Samuels about retreating here with a few other government officials and some CDC personnel." Alisha felt a shiver run down her back as they passed a young woman in the hall, leading a line of children, the sense of déjà vu too strong to ignore. Sarah smiled at the young woman, greeting several children by name. "People brought their families, so about half of the people here are children. We have tried to keep things as normal as possible for them."

"How do you feed so many people?"

"We have the garden in the summer and we outfitted that old barn as a greenhouse so we could grow our own food all year. We even installed solar panels on the roofs of both buildings to generate as much of our own power as we can. We rely on the generators as little as possible in order to conserve fuel," Sarah explained enthusiastically.

"And nobody has found you out here?" Alisha asked. The house was remote, but it was hardly hidden.

"The first thing that Dad did when we got here was have a wall installed around five acres of property, including the gardens and the greenhouse. That discouraged people from entering," Sarah replied.

It was on the tip of Alisha's tongue to ask Sarah what happened to the people who built the wall (since the labor almost certainly had not been done by those living here in the house), and how they had been "discouraged" from returning in search of sanctuary, but she didn't want to dampen their reunion. Besides, Alisha suspected that she knew the answer. After watching four presidents (and countless of their fellow agents) die, Alisha had no doubt that the Secret Service had taken their responsibilities here very seriously and made sure that nobody crossed the wall – by whatever force was necessary.

As Sarah ushered her into the bedroom, Alisha felt herself relax as she took in the familiar surroundings. The old-style canopy bed, the violin on a stand in the corner, the stuffed animals peeking down from shelves – it was all exactly as Alisha remembered. Everything about the world might have changed in the past eighteen months, but here, in this room, Alisha could almost forget all that had happened since the last time she and Sarah stood here together.

"Nothing here has changed," Alisha whispered.

Sarah laughed. "No time to redecorate. Dad told me to pack a bag and we left an hour later. It was all done very quickly."

Alisha fought back a frown. Plans like this – stocking a house with food and supplies, installing solar, even transporting a hundred people – took time and coordination. There was no way this was the kind of last minute operation that Sarah was describing. More likely Robert Hansen simply hadn't told Sarah his plans in advance. But why would he? Sarah was a musician, not part of FEMA. She wouldn't have been on his "need-to-know" list.

"Originally we only expected to be here a few weeks or a month. Just until your ship got back with Doctor Scott and her research. The scientists here agreed that the primordial strain was the key and that was what we needed to develop a vaccine."

"It was, sort of. The primordial was critical but it wasn't until Doctor Scott figured out how immunity worked that..." Alisha started to explain but Sarah cut her off.

"Save that for the scientists. I didn't bring you up here to talk about some doctor! I want to hear what _you_ have been doing since I saw you. Come, sit down and tell me everything." Sarah patted the bed beside her.

Hiding her annoyance at being cut off – she had forgotten how little tolerance Sarah had for topics that bored her – Alisha sat and did as she was told, starting with their time in the Arctic. Sarah hung on every word, interrupting only occasionally.

" _Danny? You mean the meat-head from downstairs? He was having a crazy affair on the ship? I don't believe it!"_

" _Paris is gone? I knew things were bad but destroying an entire city?"_

" _A baby! Oh, Alisha! You're a godmother!"_

" _So the Captain and the Doctor were having an affair too? It sounds a little like the Love Boat, Alisha."_

But, as was inevitable, the conversation eventually turned to Baltimore.

"I'm sorry about your mother, Alisha. You must be devastated." Sarah's voice was soft, loving, compassionate. Sarah picked up Alisha's hand, rubbing her thumb across her palm.

"My mother isn't worthy of your sympathy," Alisha said woodenly, pulling her hand away and crossing her arms tightly across her chest before filling Sarah in on Amy's crimes in a few brusque sentences. By the time Alisha was done, Sarah was sobbing again.

"Why would she tell you that there was no way to get to Wisconsin? She knew how to reach us! We could have at least talked! Then I wouldn't have spent the last six months thinking that you were dead!"

"You know she never accepted our relationship," Alisha replied with a sigh. Amy's refusal to acknowledge Alisha and Sarah's association had been a source of tension between the two.

"But this wasn't just about me! She was supposed to let my father know when you arrive. So President Samuels could take charge!"

Alisha had her own suspicions as to why Amy Granderson, a woman with major political aspersions, might have chosen to not to tell Gregory Samuels about the Nathan James's arrival, but that was not something Alisha wanted to discuss with Sarah. Not right now.

"Well, we're together now and that's what matters." Alisha wrapped her arm around Sarah's shoulders, kissing away her tears.

Suddenly Sarah smiled; a real smile that lit up her face. "I have something to show you!"

A moment later she was back, a small velvet box clutched in her hand. "I found this when I was searching your apartment, looking for clues to where your ship was before Dad admitted that he knew."

Alisha stared down at the oval diamond in an antique setting that she had picked for Sarah. It seemed so long ago that she had stood at the jewelers, beyond nervous about what she was about to do – before she was assigned to the Nathan James, before the virus, before Baltimore, before Val. Staring at the ring, Alisha could hardly believe that she was the same person as the eager young woman who had bought that ring, imagining that the worst that could happen would be for Sarah to say no.

Before Alisha could even begin to reconcile her erratic thoughts, Sarah had set the ring down on the bed and was grasping both of Alisha's hands within hers.

"I don't want to miss our chance this time. Alisha Marie Granderson, will you marry me?"


	24. Kara Foster Green

Kara's heart dropped when she heard Val's low drawl in response to Eddie's greeting. It wasn't usual for Val – like everyone else from the Nathan James – to stop by the house unannounced and, since Alisha left, Val had come by more frequently than usual hoping for updates on the team's progress. But today's update was going to be tough. Kara doubted that Val would care about the discovery of Gregory Samuels, number five on the list of presidential succession. But she _would_ care that Sarah was alive. Kara was not looking forward to the conversation.

Apparently neither was Caro, who quickly excused herself, claiming to hear Joanne calling her.

"Coward," Kara muttered as the hall door swung closed behind Caro.

"Hey Kara." Val slid into the room, shoulders slumped. Kara fought the urge to tell Val to stand up straight. She was an attractive woman but between the crazy hair, horrible posture, and ill-fitting clothing, Val certainly gave the impression of someone who didn't care how she looked – or how she was perceived. Kara had to assume it was deliberate, a style intentionally chosen because it fit with Val's screw-the-world attitude.

An attitude that generally kept people at a distance.

Val certainly was not the easiest of people to deal with. She swung from perfectly logical to conspiracy theorist on a whim. Even after six months of working together, Kara wasn't sure whether Val really trusted her – and she knew that she didn't entirely trust Val. Not that Kara thought Val would deliberately screw them over. Not now, not after all they had been through since New Orleans. No, Kara was more afraid that Val would be swayed by someone whose propaganda was more in line with Val's core beliefs and act impulsively, not thinking through the consequences of her actions.

But unlike Danny, who at best tolerated Val, Kara had surprised herself by finding that, once she got through Val's tough shell, she actually enjoyed spending time with the woman.

On the surface, Val appeared to have led an idealized life. The only child of a college professor and an activist, Val's education has been second to none. A bilingual nanny. Violin lessons beginning at four. Chess lessons at the age of five. Coding classes at her father's university beginning at thirteen. Nature camp and science camp and space camp. An acceptance at Harvard turned down in favor of MIT before moving on to Tulane for her masters and PhD.

But the way Val spoke of her parents, of her past, had struck a chord with Kara. In much the same way as Kara's wants and needs had taken second place to Debbie's drinking, Val had played second fiddle to her parents' own ambitions. Val had gone to Europe and Brazil and India to attend conferences with her parents, but never to Disneyland. She had spent her eighth birthday protesting at the White House with her mother rather than having a pool party. She had once returned home from a summer at camp to find her bedroom had been turned into a second library for her father's books. At her parents urging, Val had skipped her freshman year of high school, allowing her to graduate from MIT just after her twenty-first birthday, but tearing the introverted thirteen year old away from the few friends she had made over the years.

Val had escaped to MIT in much the same way that Kara had escaped to the Academy. But while Kara had thrived in the Navy culture of trust, honor, and tradition, Val had struggled to find her place, ultimately falling back into old patterns of isolation, focusing her energy on the world she had created through her network rather than to the world that existed outside her dorm room. Although she had made friends, others who shared her anti-establishment beliefs, they had only fueled Val's cynical view of the government and the military.

And made Val that much more willing to believe the Ramsey brothers' lies.

"Hi Val. Have you eaten? We have leftovers if you're hungry."

"If you have enough," Val replied with a shrug, but Kara didn't miss the way Val's eyes lit up at the mention of food. Kara knew, through Alisha, that Val rarely ate in the cafeteria because crowds made her uncomfortable. Instead, unless Alisha was around to force her to make real food, Val lived mostly off ramen noodles.

"The team reached Wisconsin," Kara said as she finished fixing the plate and set it before Val. No point in dragging this out. "They found Sarah."

Val hesitated for the briefest second before she began shoveling food into her mouth. "What's she like?"

"Sarah?" Kara asked, uncertain of how to take Val's reaction. She seemed to have taken the news well but, as with everything, Val was not exactly predictable. "I don't know. I've never met her."

"You haven't?" Val finally looked up from her plate, frowning at Kara. "But you're Alisha's best friend."

"Alisha joined the Nathan James just before we left for the Arctic. We didn't meet until we were assigned to the same cabin," Kara explained. "I guess people bond quicker in an apocalypse."

Kara didn't miss the shrewd glance that Val shot towards Frankie.

"So nobody has met Sarah?"

"Nope. Well, nobody here anyway. I guess the team has," Kara clarified.

"Did Danny say anything?" Val pressed.

"No, he was focused on something else." Briefly Kara explained who the team had found n Wisconsin and how Sarah's survival had been overshadowed. "Why are you asking about Sarah?"

Val shrugged, her fork clattering to a stop. "I knew that I was Alisha's second choice but we never really talked about Sarah. I guess I wanted to know what she was like. To make sure that Sarah would treat her right."

Kara pulled out the chair across from Val, her heart breaking as she took in the look of acceptance on Val's face. Val wasn't hoping that Alisha would choose her over Sarah. She assumed that Alisha would pick Sarah – that she had already lost her.

Something Kara was not so sure was true.

_Six weeks ago_

_Kara waited until Alisha was settled on the couch, cuddling with Frankie, before she spoke. "Okay, spill."_

" _Spill what?" Alisha replied innocently. Too innocently, as far as Kara was concerned._

" _Val," Kara elaborated. "What's going on there? Obviously I missed something while I was off the James. She gave you a goodbye kiss."_

_Alisha gazed towards the fire for a minute before finally meeting Kara's eyes. "We're seeing each other. Sort of. Nothing formal. Just hanging out."_

" _That's a big step," Kara replied. "What about Sarah?"_

" _That's what makes it so hard. I still love Sarah. I just…." Alisha paused. "With Val, sometimes I can forget about the past, just for a little while. Plus, she makes me laugh with her crazy theories."_

" _Laughing is good," Kara replied softly. Alisha needed someone to make her laugh. They all did._

_Alisha took a deep breath. "And I can talk to her about Baltimore."_

_Kara's eyes closed briefly, throat tightening as suppressed memories threatened to bubble up. "I'm sorry Lish. I'm sorry that I can't talk about it."_

" _It's not you Kara," Alisha sad, her gaze fixed on Frankie. "I can't talk to you about it either. Every time I try, all I can think about is what almost happened. What my mother tried to do to you. With Val it's different."_

_And in a flash of comprehension, Kara understood._

_Val and Alisha had both put their trust in the wrong person (although Kara would argue that Alisha had every right to put her trust in Amy, while Val had allowed her own prejudices to blind her to the truth), and both had seen that trust abused. Kara knew that Alisha had been shattered by what happened in Baltimore, and perhaps Val was not as indifferent to her role in the Immunes' misinformation plot as she had led everyone to believe._

_Maybe, like Alisha, Val felt the weight of thousands of deaths on her shoulders._

_Maybe, like Alisha, Val was seeking redemption._

_Maybe, in Val, Alisha had found someone who could understand the guilt that she could not let go of._

Present

"From what I know about Alisha, she would never be with someone who wouldn't treat her right," Kara said softly.

Val's lips curled into what might have been a smile before returning to her plate. "I also wanted to thank you."

"Thank me for what?" Kara asked, passing Val another slice of bread.

Val waved her hand around vaguely. "For all of this. I know that you did it for Alisha, but you've been really nice to me. Letting me hang out, inviting me places, telling the assholes on base to stop confiscating my laptop."

"The laptop thing was Danny."

"Really?"

"Yup. Danny told Anders to lay off on the searches." Kara didn't add that Danny had done it because Val's daily bitching was getting on his nerves.

"Well, thank him for me."

"You sound like you are saying goodbye. Are you going somewhere?"

Val had been something of a nomad prior to the Nathan James picking her off that oil rig, and the only thing keeping her in Norfolk was Alisha. As she had so thoroughly demonstrated, Val could work anywhere with access to a computer and a power supply.

"Not sure yet." Val scraped the fork across the plate to gather every last bit of her food. "Might head back to St. Louis and join up with Michener's crew out there. I don't want to work for Samuels, though. His record on women's rights is abysmal."

"Caro said the same thing," Kara replied, amused and slightly exasperated at the focus on an issue that seemed so far removed from the immediate goal of rebuilding the country. Although, as Caro had been rather convincingly arguing before she turned tail and ran from Val, if they were rebuilding the country, they might as well do it right. "We'll miss you if you leave."

It was only as the words were coming out of her mouth that Kara realized that they were true. Over the past seven months Val really _had_ become a part of the group. An annoying, somewhat caustic member, but still one of them.

Val laughed. "I doubt that. Pretty sure Danny cringes every time I walk through the door. Teylor avoids me like the plague. And Carlton will never forgive me."

Kara hoped her wince didn't show. Carlton really had tried to get to know Val, for Alisha's sake, but Ravit's death was still too close, too painful for him. While he was polite to Val, the two would never be friends. As for Danny and Teylor, well, as Danny once explained, he could deal with Caro or Val, but both at once was enough to make a man want to go back to sea.

"At least wait until Alisha is back," Kara urged.

"What's the point? She won't want to see me." Val predicted fatalistically.

"You don't know that," Kara began, but stopped when Val gave her a pointed look. "Please wait until Alisha gets back and tell her yourself. She spent the last year looking for Sarah. I don't want her to spend the next year looking for you."


	25. Danny Green

 

"How long will it take for the escort to arrive?" Gregory Samuels asked from his seat at the head of the conference table. As Danny had assumed, the house was equipped with the most up-to-date telecommunications equipment, and it had taken less than an hour to set up a video conference with President Michener and Admiral Chandler. Normally Alisha would have handled the link, but she had disappeared somewhere with Sarah and Danny hadn't wanted to bother her. Fortunately, the Senator's aide Ethan had been more than capable of hooking them up to the satellite, causing Danny to wonder whether these people really were as isolated as they claimed.

"No more than two to three days," Admiral Chandler responded.

"We're less than a day's drive from Chicago. Why so long?" Senator Hansen questioned.

"It will take some time to clear the road of snow and other obstacles," Admiral Chandler replied.

"I see no need to go to so much effort," Gregory Samuels objected. "Your people got through. We can as well."

Danny fought a frown, envying Carlton's ability to keep his face impassive. "I recommend against that, sirs. The road condition between here and Chicago is extremely poor. The road is blocked by downed trees in a number of places and obviously the snow is a concern. We were able to move the obstacles or find an alternative route on the way here, but there is no guaranty that the return trip will go as smoothly. These are not weather conditions where we want to be stuck outside, especially with children."

Gregory Samuels raised an eyebrow. "I grew up in Illinois, son, I know all about the weather. We have four-wheel drive and chains. We will have no problem getting through."

Danny wasn't sure how much his instant dislike of Gregory Samuels had to do with the fact that, prior to the virus, he had been forced to listen to both his mother and Caro rail against the man for his views on women's rights and other social issues, and how much was due to the fact that the man was a pretentious ass. Danny didn't follow politics closely. He voted regularly, but mostly out of habit, his parents having drilled into him from a young age that it was his civic responsibility to do so. Still, Danny knew (again from his mother and sister) that Senator Hansen had a reputation for being extremely liberal on social issues. Apparently global pandemics made for strange political bedfellows.

"With all due respect sir, I have to concur with Lieutenant Green. He and Lieutenant Burk have spent a great deal of time traveling over the past several weeks and are in the best position to know the condition of the roads." Even though Danny knew he was going to lose this argument, he appreciated Admiral Chandler's support. "What I would suggest, Mr. Samuels, is that you allow my team to escort you and Senator Hansen, along with appropriate security, to Chicago where Colonel Browder can arrange an escort to St. Louis. The remainder of your people can join you after the roads are cleared."

"That is unacceptable," Gregory Samuels responded and Danny wondered whether it was the Admiral's suggestion or the use of the phrase 'Mr. Samuels' that had triggered the heated response. "I understand your concern about the children being outside in the cold, and will agree that anyone under the age of eighteen can remain at the house under the care of their teachers for the present. But we need every surviving member of Congress, with their support personnel, in St. Louis as soon as possible. As far as you know were there any other survivors from Washington?"

In other words, Danny thought cynically, Samuels was unwilling to go to St. Louis without his political base. Perhaps he was more concerned about Michener than he was letting on. At least, Samuels had been willing to accept some compromise, agreeing to allow the children to stay here until it was safe to move them.

President Michener answered the question. "We have located fifteen surviving members of the House and two senators, other than those with you, Gregory. We had actually hoped to hold a national election in the next few months to select new representatives. That is something we can discuss in more detail once you arrive in St. Louis. It appears that there may be another decision for the citizens of this nation to make sooner rather than later."

And there it was – the elephant in the room. To the people living in this house, Gregory Samuels was the president. But to the rest of the nation, the man filling that role was Jeffrey Michener. If Samuels and Michener agreed to a new election, they could possibly avoid any complications that arose from competing claims to the presidency. Still, the logistics of arranging an election in a country that was still reeling from food and medical shortages, as well as a facing the lack of local and state leadership, were staggering. And that assumed Samuels was willing to agree to an election in the first place (something that presumably would put Michener, as the incumbent, in a more favorable position), rather than challenge his presidency by other means.

"And we will coordinate with Colonel Browder to have a team from Chicago head in your direction to provide assistance." Admiral Chandler looked towards Danny. "Green, before you go, a word."

"Yes sir." Danny moved closer to the camera, which had been positioned before Gregory Samuels, feeling vaguely uneasy. These chats with the Admiral never ended in good news.

"We finished interrogating the man who broke into your house," Admiral Chandler began, as though he had not already told Danny this information five days ago in Chicago. "Apparently the home previously belonged to his parents and when he saw the lights he assumed that they were alive. As best as we can tell his story checks out, but we've decided to put a security detail on your house anyway. Never hurts to take precautions."

Admiral Chandler looked directly at Danny as he spoke – his message clear. This wasn't about Neil Shaw. This was about Gregory Samuels, and Danny apparently was not the only one the man had rubbed the wrong way.

"I appreciate that. Thank you, sir."

As soon as the video feed closed, Senator Hansen turned to Danny with what appeared to be genuine concern. "There was a break-in at your house? Was anyone harmed?"

"No, fortunately everyone is fine," Danny replied. "I have the benefit of living on a street populated by military personnel and the response was immediate."

Carlton cracked a smile. "Actually, the burglar was lucky he got caught before he entered the house. Green's wife grew up in Kansas. She can shoot the nipples off a chicken at a thousand yards."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

As they entered the large dining room, Danny could see the guys standing together by the windows, their BDUs looking utterly out of place in the formal dining room. Not that it was set for a sit-down dinner. Instead it had been arranged buffet-style, with large platters of each dish set on the table, allowing people to load their plates before heading elsewhere to actually eat. Still, the people milling around the room were dressed in suits and dresses, the plates were a grade higher than the ones at the cafeteria on base, and, rather than Navy blue, the wait staff wore more formal black uniforms.

Not what any of them had been expecting to find when they left Norfolk.

Danny and Carlton had just joined the team when Alisha entered from another door, Sarah clinging to her arm. After a huddled discussion, the two women headed in their direction.

"Guys," Alisha said as they reached the group. "This is Sarah Hansen."

As Alisha finished introducing Sarah to everyone, Tex gave a sharp whistle.

"That is some sparkler."

Sarah's lips pursed at the sound, and Danny could tell instantly that she was not impressed by the cat call. Alisha obviously reached the same conclusion. "I had picked out the ring before we left for the Arctic. Sarah found it when she was looking for clues to where I was and brought it here."

Danny choked on the words that had been on the tip of his tongue, unsure whether Alisha and Sarah were actually engaged and he should be offering congratulations, or if Sarah was wearing the ring for some other reason he didn't understand.

Fortunately, Wolf was not so confused. "It's a beautiful ring and it looks lovely on your hand, Miss Hansen. Congratulations to you and Lieutenant Granderson."

A few minutes of well-wishes later, Danny extracted Alisha from the group and pulled her slightly to the side. "Engaged, huh?"

"I told her about Val. She doesn't care." Alisha crossed her arms across her chest defensively. Danny knew he was not the most sensitive guy, his sister had reminded him of that fact enough times, but even he could tell that Alisha did _not_ want to discuss the topic further.

"Sarah seems nice. Kara will be excited when she finds out. She'll probably want to throw some kind of party. Introduce Sarah to everybody."

"That sounds fun," Alisha replied, but her enthusiasm sounded forced.

Making a mental note to ask Kara about Alisha's strangely subdued behavior, Danny got down to the real reason he had pulled Alisha aside. Glancing around to make sure they would not be overheard, he lowered his voice. "Anything around here feel off to you?"

"Why?" Alisha straightened, her eyes darting around the room. "Did you see something?"

"No, no, nothing specific," Danny hastened to reassure her. "Admiral Chandler wants us to discretely check things out. I'm going to send the guys to do a little reconnaissance outside but I can't exactly wander the halls without attracting a lot of unwelcome attention. Thought you might have some insight. After all, you know these people."

Alisha seemed to relax a smidgen at Danny's hurried explanation. "I've been with Sarah all afternoon. I can ask her to give you a tour later if you want."

"Perfect." Danny stepped to the side as a waiter rushed by with another heaping platter of food. "The way these people are acting, you would think we were at one of those English house parties in that movie you and Kara like so much."

Alisha followed his gaze, a corner of her mouth quirking. "You mean Pride and Prejudice? Washington is a different world, Danny."

"Yeah, a world of pompous asses," Danny muttered.

Alisha snorted. "Samuel's made a good impression, did he? My mother hated his guts." A strange look passed over Alisha's face as she realized what she had said. After a few seconds pause, she continued. "Gregory Samuels comes from old money, Senator Hansen does too. People like that don't go anywhere without their staff. Sarah's family has a housekeeper, as well as an aide and a personal assistant for the Senator. Oh, and there was a caretaker who lived here full-time to take care of things while the family was out of town."

"Must be nice."

"Would you think it was better if they left these people behind in Washington? They would probably be dead right now," Alisha pointed out. "They might be stuck cooking for a pompous ass, but at least they are alive. Not everyone would have rewarded such loyalty."

Amy Granderson certainly had not; kicking anyone who was no longer useful out of her utopia.

"And what are the two of you over here whispering about," Sarah asked playfully.

Danny smiled his best charming smile, the one he used regularly on Kara, but it appeared to have no effect on Sarah. "I was just telling Alisha that Kara will undoubtedly want to throw the two of you an engagement party."

Sarah seemed puzzled. "Kara? Oh, she was Alisha's roommate from the ship. That's a lovely idea. Does she live in St. Louis?"

"No, in Norfolk," Danny replied, casting a side glance at Alisha. "Where the Nathan James is based out of."

"Oh yes, of course. I wasn't thinking. St. Louis is where the new capital is," Sarah said.

"Danny also asked if you could give him a tour later. He has always had an interest in architecture," Alisha added.

Danny was caught off guard by the blatant lie, and the fact that Alisha had just told the whopper to her brand new fiancé, quickly racking his brain for what he could recall from the architectural digest magazines that Frankie was always leaving all over their apartment. "The design is rather unique. Is it Scandinavian inspired?"

He mentally crossed his fingers, hoping that what he had just said made some sense.

Apparently it did because Sarah smiled at him approvingly. "It's Swedish. I'd be happy to give you a tour. Just let me know when you are finished with your meetings and I will show you around."

"Thank you." Danny gave Alisha a nod of thanks.

Sarah looped her arm through Alisha's, tugging lightly. "Anyway Alisha, we should go talk to my father and Adam. Tell him our news."

"Of course." Alisha turned back to Danny. "I'll catch up with you later. I'm curious to find out how your afternoon went too."


	26. Wolf Taylor

 

Wolf stood to one side of the enormous dining room, watching as person after person passed through, heaping their plates high with selections from the vast buffet of hot, steaming food that was being continually refreshed by the wait staff.

Clearly there were no food shortages here.

Immediately upon their arrival at the house (or mansion, depending on who you asked), Carlton had left to find Danny, and Wolf, Cameron and Danielle had been ushered into the dining room to join Rick, Teylor, and Tex for lunch. Alisha, who was presumably with Sarah, was nowhere in sight. While the food had been excellent, giving even Bacon a run for his money, Wolf far preferred the less constrictive atmosphere of the mess.

"Samuels was the governor of Illinois before he became the Secretary of State," Cameron commented. "He's far more qualified than Michener to run the country. He might actually be an improvement."

Wolf had to agree. He had never warmed to Jeffrey Michener, always finding the man too easily swayed by those around him. Wolf _had_ approved of the steps that Michener had taken since arriving in St. Louis, but he gave most of the credit for that to the committees Michener had established to develop a plan for rebuilding the United States and spreading the cure around the world. At least Michener had been smart enough to know that he needed help and had selected trustworthy people – the second time around anyway. People like Admiral Chandler, who had single-handedly orchestrated the rebuilding of the Navy, or Colonel Browder, who had turned Chicago from a disaster zone into a functioning city.

Still, there was something unsettling about knowing that the most powerful man in the world had once been part of a cult.

_A Year Ago – Florida_

" _The guy was with the Ramseys, Ravit. I don't need to know anything else to know that he can't be trusted."_

_Wolf spoke quietly, first checking that nobody was around to hear them talking. Captain Chandler had made it clear to the ground team that they were not to discuss the details of Jeffrey Michener's "rescue" with the crew. He would not take kindly to learning that Wolf and Ravit were disregarding his orders._

" _It wasn't voluntary," Ravit countered, her voice showing her frustration. "His body language around them – he was putting on a show."_

_Wolf gave her a considered look. Ravit had worked in military intelligence prior to the outbreak and, while she didn't talk about her past assignments, she never would have made it as an intelligence officer if she hadn't learned to read her targets. But everything in Wolf's gut was screaming that this time she was wrong, that Jeffrey Michener had bought the Immunes' line hook and sinker._

" _Why join them then?"_

" _He had lost his entire family. He was grieving. He was confused," Ravit replied instantly, clearly having given a great deal of thought to the issue._

" _You lost your family and you didn't join a cult," Wolf countered._

_Ravit gave him a level stare. "I didn't have to. I wasn't alone. I had you."_

_Their gaze met and held as Wolf considered what might have happened if Ravit hadn't made it to the rendezvous spot, if he had found himself alone in the Virginia woods._

_He still couldn't imagine joining up with a group of crazies._

" _And if you are right, if he was putting on a show, what does that say about him?" Wolf pressed. "What does it say that the man will do anything to save his own ass?"_

" _It says that he's a survivor," Ravit responded. "Just like us."_

Present

Wolf still wasn't convinced that Michener was playing a role, and he still didn't like the man, but Michener had one overwhelming advantage over Samuels. Michener had lived through the worst of the pandemic. He had lost his entire family and had been one, if not the only, survivor of a safe zone holding tens of thousands. There could be no doubt that Jeffrey Michener personally understood the terrible toll that the Red Flu had taken on the country, and on the world.

Gregory Samuels, who had been ensconced in the safety of a Wisconsin mansion, could hardly say the same.

"But Michener was sworn in," Rick protested. "He's been running the country for the past eight months. Samuels can't just replace him."

Danielle looked thoughtful. "I am no civics expert, but if Samuels was sworn in as president before Michener, and didn't resign, Michener's swearing in might not be valid. Which would mean that everything he has done as president is null and void, because he didn't have the authority to act."

It didn't take any understanding of American politics for Wolf to realize what a disaster _that_ would be. Every appointment that Michener had made – the new cabinet, the judges, the military commanders – would be subject to reconsideration. Every law he had passed to deal with food shortages and orphaned children and the reboot of the economy would be null. Every treaty he had negotiated with a foreign government would be worthless. The second that the world learned of Gregory Samuels' existence, the United States would once again be thrown into chaos.

Cameron looked appalled. "What a nightmare."

"This has never happened before. I doubt there is any legal precedent," Danielle added.

"Maybe we'll get lucky and the guy won't want the job," Wolf offered. _Michener certainly hadn't._

Everyone fell silent as Danny and Carlton entered the room, both scowling.

"Who took a shot at your asses?" Tex asked.

"Watch it Tex, or Green will make you ride with the President all the way to Chicago," Carlton responded.

"Ah, escort duty. My favorite," Tex drawled.

"Then you're in luck. Looks like we'll be escorting a whole group of politicians to Chicago," Danny replied, clearly not thrilled with the idea. After a quick glance around the room, Danny leaned closer, dropping his voice. "The Admiral wants a little more information about these people before we set Samuels loose on St. Louis. Cruz and Miller, check out the town we passed on the way here. See if there is anyone alive who might know something about what's been going on here the last year. Taylor, take Cameron with you and do a tour around the walls. Find out what is out there. If anyone asks what you are doing, tell them that we are looking at the road conditions and figuring out the best way to get out of here."

"What about me?" Tex asked.

"I need you to do your Tex thing and talk to people. If there is something strange going on here, you are the best person to ferret it out."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Ninety minutes later Wolf and Cameron were making their way around the exterior wall, surrounded by nothing but snow drifts and evergreens.

"Where did an Aussie learn how to snowshoe?" Cameron asked curiously, his breath slightly labored.

"We have mountains in Australia." After two days of riding in the same vehicle as Cameron, Wolf had grown to enjoy the man's dry sense of humor, even if he was not ready to let his guard down around the man yet. Despite Carlton's attempts to sugarcoat it, tension remained between the Burk brothers. Wolf had brothers, and they had certainly had their disputes, but Wolf knew Carlton well enough to know that he would not have broken with his brother over a petty grievance. There had been a serious issue that came between Cameron and Carlton, and that was enough for Wolf to remain cautious around Cameron.

"And people snowshoe there?" Cameron continued, recalling Wolf to the conversation.

"My mother was from Montana. She taught us," Wolf replied, moving silently through the woods. Behind him Cameron was not doing quite as well, his heavy breathing loud enough to have scared off any wildlife. Fortunately stealth was not key to this mission.

"Carl mentioned that you are waiting for news about your family," Cameron said.

"Now that communication with Australia is open, Admiral Chandler kindly put in a request for me," Wolf explained.

"It's kind of funny. When I was on the Milius, all I could think about was what was happening back in Chicago. And once I got to Chicago, all I could think about was what happened to the people on those cruise ships."

Wolf knew the feeling. It was the reason that he delayed for so long before requesting a transfer to the USS Kidd, which was based out of San Diego. His desire to look for his mother and siblings warring with his desire to stay with the Nathan James and the people who had become his second family.

"What are we looking for out here anyway?" Cameron asked after a minute. "Or is Chandler just the paranoid type?"

"We're looking for anything that tells us about the people on the other side of that wall," Wolf replied. "And Admiral Chandler is the cautious type. You should be too. We all have to be now."

"Well, all we have here is a whole lot of nothing. Which, actually, is kind of odd. We've passed what, five or six different cabins? All of them stocked with food and water and fuel, but nobody living in any of them – and nobody dead in any of them either. Strange that nobody decided to hunker down out here."

Wolf had been pondering the same thing for the past twenty minutes.

"Strange indeed."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Wolf sat in the small living room that the group had been provided for the night, waiting impatiently for Danny and Carlton to finish their tour of the house with Alisha, Sarah and Sarah's brother Adam who, it turns out, had an interest in architecture himself. Feeling restless, Wolf excused himself from the next game of cards, earning a raised eyebrow from Tex and a protest from Cameron, who had lost the last round and was hoping to earn his money back. As he paced back and forth before the bookcases that lined the walls, Wolf wondered what the room was usually used for. With over a hundred people here space had to be at a premium, especially when the weather made it impossible to spend any length of time outside.

Danny and Carlton were bickering as they entered the room a few minutes later.

"Couldn't Alisha have come up with a better lie?" Carlton was complaining. "I didn't know someone could talk that much about windows."

"Well, letting in as much natural light as possible _is_ rather important," Danny responded, his voice amused.

"Uh huh, that might have worked on Sarah but pretty sure that Adam was on to you after you started talking about feng shui." Shaking his head, Carlton turned towards Wolf, tossing him the satellite phone. "The Admiral called while we were upstairs. He wants you to check in. Didn't say why."

Commander Garnett was the one to answer. "Senior Chief, good to hear from you. I know Admiral Chandler was hoping to do this himself, but he's stuck in a meeting with the Chinese government and you know how those go."

"I do, ma'am," Wolf responded politely.

"Hold on a minute while I patch us through."

Before Wolf could ask who she was patching in, another voice filled the line.

" _Hello?"_

Wolf would have known that voice anywhere. All of the air left his chest. _"Mum?"_

"Wolf?"

" _Magnus?"_

"We're here, brah, all of us, even Skye."

"G'day Wolf!"

Wolf dropped into a chair at the sound of his sister's voice, legs no longer able to support his weight. His family was alive. That feeling deep in his gut, the one that had assured him they were all okay, it had been right. Somehow, despite the odds, they were alive.

"Skye." Wolf could barely choke out the word.

Winona was not suffering from the same problem. "A soldier came to find us two days ago. Brought us special doses of the cure, if you can believe it! Said it was by order of the Australian government because of all that you had done for the country. We talked to your captain, that nice Tom fellow. He had such good things to say about you."

"You're regular national hero," Lakota interjected. "They're talking about naming a national holiday for you. Wolf Taylor Day – for the man who brought the cure to Australia."

"The Foshan brought the cure," Wolf objected.

"They claim they owed you and your team one for saving their bacon and that's why they stopped," Magnus explained. "I figured they had you mixed up with some other bloke but they insisted."

"You stop it now," Winona scolded, before her attention returned to Wolf. "I knew there was a reason that God separated you from us, why he sent you to the States. And there was."

"You got us the cure."


	27. Alisha Granderson

Nine sets of eyes swung towards Sarah, and then back towards Alisha, the doors of the small living room slamming closed behind the petite redhead as she stormed into the room.

"Are you _spying_ on us?"

Alisha couldn't look away. Sarah was the first person she had ever been in love with, the woman she had dreamed of spending her life with. But she was also a woman Alisha no longer knew and, most importantly, no longer trusted.

"I'm so sorry," Alisha whispered.

"You're _sorry_? That's all you have to say?"

"Lieutenant Granderson was collecting information under my orders," Danny interjected, presumably trying to help, but neither woman acknowledged him.

"Guess neither you or Burk sold the whole interest in architecture thing very well," Tex muttered under his breath.

"I thought the whole point of this trip was to find me? Or was that part of the plan?" Sarah demanded, her voice trembling. "Claim to be here for me when you were really spying for Jeffrey Michener?"

"No!" The word burst out of Alisha before Sarah could finish her sentence, her heart breaking at the pain in Sarah's eyes. Pain that she had caused. "We came here to find you."

Sarah's face eased slightly, as though she really had been afraid that this was all an elaborate farce. "What you told me about your mother and Baltimore is horrible, Alisha. I can understand you being suspicious of finding President Samuels alive. I can even believe that Dumb and Dumber over there thought it was a good idea to do a little investigating. What I _don't_ understand is why you lied to me."

"I couldn't take the chance I was wrong," Alisha whispered, images flashed through her mind.

_Carlton carrying her out of Avocet even as she begged him to leave her behind, begged him to let her die._

_Danny holding her hand as she lay in the infirmary._

_Kara's face as she handed Frankie to Alisha, introducing her to Auntie Lish for the very first time._

_Tex conveniently needing to do something in Norfolk every time Alisha left the base for a week after someone recognized Alisha as Amy Granderson's daughter._

_Teylor picking a fight with Rick over donuts to cover the tension in Chicago._

_Wolf postponing his transfer to the Kidd in order to join them on this trip. Putting his own search for his family on hold in order to help her find Sarah._

When push came to shove, Alisha didn't trust Sarah enough to put them at risk – which meant that she had picked her team over the woman she had agreed to marry.

"Why didn't you just ask me? I would have told you anything you wanted to know. Why pretend that you were interested in the house? Why send people into town trying to find information about us?"

"Why do you think we were looking for information about you?" Carlton asked, recalling Alisha to exactly where they were and who was listening to this conversation. "The guys were checking the road conditions. That's all."

"My father said you went to town to ask questions," Sarah replied, frowning slightly, as though trying to recall something. Danny looked to Alisha, who shook her head sharply. Sarah wasn't lying. At least, Alisha didn't think she was.

"You said I can ask you anything?" Alisha probed. Sarah nodded. "Then tell me how all of these politicians got here. Tell me why the whole town is empty. Explain why nobody is living in those cabins outside the wall. Explain who built those walls and the greenhouse and put up the solar power. Because I _know_ it wasn't the people who live in this house." Once she started, Alisha couldn't seem to stop the words from pouring out. "I don't care who is in charge of the country – whether it is Samuels or Michener or even your dad. This isn't about someone's political aspirations. This is about making sure that you aren't part of my mother's master plan."

Tears began slipping down Sarah's face at the barrage but she didn't back down. "We came on Air Force One and then by SUV. The Secret Service arranged it so I don't know the details. If you want, I can ask. They also brought in the contractors who did the work. The workers stayed here until it was done and then returned to their assigned safe zone to be with their families. Adam designed and coordinated everything. He is an engineer you know. And as for the town, nobody was hurt. They all went to the safe zone in Madison. It was too risky to let anyone know that the President was here, so we told them that this was a facility being used to experiment on the virus and it wasn't safe to stay. Everyone was happy to go."

"Everyone at the Madison safe zone died," Danny said bluntly.

Sarah visibly flinched. "That is horrible. But they might have died if they stayed here too. We might all have died. We had to protect President Samuels – the country needs him! And the best way to do that was isolate him."

Alisha straightened. "Isolate him from the people he was sworn to lead, you mean. The country needed Samuels to stay where he could help, not hide away. While Samuels was here in Wisconsin, we found a new president, one who was willing to lead. And now Samuels wants to waltz back in and you expect us to be _okay_ with that?"

"You're right," Sarah's voice broke on the words, the tears sliding down her face becoming a flood. "We thought we were doing the right thing. The best thing. But you're right. We should have stayed. We should have tried to help. We shouldn't have run."

Sarah turned, moving towards the door. "I'm sorry."

And then she was gone, closing the door quietly behind her. Tears pricked at Alisha's eyes. Why hadn't she asked Sarah earlier about how they got here and what happened to the town? Sarah had certainly asked Alisha enough questions about their time apart, Alisha could have done the same without raising any suspicions. But instead she had allowed her fear to rule her. She hadn't trusted Sarah enough to ask, convinced that, like Amy, Sarah would betray her and, as a result, she had betrayed Sarah.

Predictably, Tex was the first recover. "Really that wasn't so bad. One time Claire threw a glass at my head after I forgot to tell her I was leaving on assignment. The two of you will be making up before you know it."

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Two hours later, Alisha finally tracked Sarah down in the greenhouse. As she walked through the space, Alisha was amazed to see how lush and green it was, overflowing with various vegetables and herbs. The greenhouses near Norfolk looked nothing like this.

Five feet away from Sarah, Alisha stopped, uncertain of what to say despite having hours to think about it. She scuffed her foot. "It's beautiful here. And the yield you're getting on those plants is amazing. President Michener would love to know your secret. There are major food shortages in many parts of the country right now."

Sarah didn't look up from the picture that she was holding, one of the two of them together. It had been taken the last time they were here, standing on the front porch, arms wrapped around each other. "Senator Lovell's wife is a botanist. I'm sure she would be happy to assist in any way that she can. We're not out to hurt anyone Alisha. We did what we thought was best at the time."

"I told you what happened in Baltimore…," Alisha began, attempting to explain. "I trusted the wrong person and my friends paid the price. I couldn't take the chance of something like that happening again. That's why I didn't ask. I'm sorry."

Sarah finally looked up and Alisha could tell from Sarah's red-rimmed eyes and pale face that she had been crying, probably the entire time since they parted. "Your mother did a horrible thing, Alisha. But you can't let her ruin the rest of your life. I would _never_ hurt you. I need you to believe that."

"It's not that easy, Sarah."

"It is, it is that easy. You either trust me or you don't, Alisha. It's that simple."

"I don't know if I trust anyone anymore," Alisha confessed.

The pain and hurt in Sarah's eyes was almost unbearable. "Can't we put this behind us? We can start over, pretend this never happened. I can wait as long as you need."

Alisha closed the short distance between them, pulling Sarah tightly against her. "I think about our life before. You meeting me on the docks when my ship came home. Going out to restaurants and museums and concerts. Sleeping late on Saturdays and waking up and sitting out on that little balcony at your apartment. It all feels like a dream, something that never really happened."

"I don't want to lose you again." Sarah reached up to wipe away a tear and for the first time Alisha realized that she was crying.

"I don't know what I was expecting when I came looking for you. I just needed to know. And I thought, maybe, that I would see you and I could go back to the person I was before. But I'm not that person anymore, Sarah. My life now is on the Nathan James, spreading the cure. It's what I do, what I have to do, to make up for what _she_ did."

"Can't I be part of that new life?" Sarah pleaded.

Alisha smiled sadly. "The last thing I want to do is hurt you any more than I already have. To drag you down with me. To change you. Because you are an amazing person Sarah Amanda Hansen, and you are going to make some woman very, very happy. It just isn't going to be me."

Sarah stepped back, looking down at her left hand as though committing the sight to memory, before moving to pull the ring from her finger. Alisha reached over to stop her.

"Keep it."

"But…"

Alisha cut her off. "Keep it and remember me the way I was before. I want to hope that in some alternate universe, that woman survived."


	28. Erik (Rick) Miller

 

Rick waited, somewhat impatiently, as the politicians they had been ferrying for the past three days filtered into the hotel next to the Chicago base. Once inside, they would be Colonel Browder's problem – and not a minute too soon. The last three days had seemed to take an eternity. Due to lack of fuel, they had been forced to use every available seat of the SUVs the civilians were riding in, leading to myriad complaints about the cramped conditions, the long hours, and the lack of heat. Despite their best efforts to clear the roads of high drifts, the civilian vehicles had been unable to make it through several places, requiring the team to dig them out and extending the trip from two days to three. It might have been longer if Colonel Browder had not sent a team out from Chicago to meet them. And then there had been Gregory Samuels' reaction to learning that they were going to be spending the night in a barn. It was only Danny's threat to make everyone sleep in the vehicles that had gotten the man to finally shut up.

Not that the group of roughly fifty civilians had been completely useless. Mr. Samuels' personal security had been surprisingly accommodating, helping to free and move the vehicles and taking a turn on watch when they stopped for the night. Rick had even mentioned to a couple of the guys that, if they wanted to consider a new job, Admiral Chandler would be the person to talk to. Still, Rick was happy enough to wash his hands of the whole thing and let Admiral Chandler and President Michener sort it out.

Rick's gaze strayed to Alisha, who was standing with Senator Hansen and Sarah by the entrance to the hotel. Alisha hadn't told them what happened after their fight, but everyone had noticed that Sarah was no longer wearing the engagement ring. When Danny asked whether Sarah would be coming to Norfolk with them, Alisha had simply said that Sarah would be joining her father St. Louis. Clearly things had not worked out the way that Alisha had hoped on the way to Wisconsin.

Wolf sauntered over to Rick, watching as Colonel Browder began welcoming the new arrivals.

"Hiya Wolfman."

"Hiya Rick." The deep voice was calm, soothing.

"You decide what you're going to do?" Rick asked, eyes on the toes of his boots. Colonel Browder had offered to let Wolf hop a flight from Chicago to San Diego, the first step towards an eventual return to Australia.

"Can't leave now," Wolf responded. "Not in the middle of a mission."

"Everyone would understand," Rick forced himself to offer, although he hated the idea of Wolf leaving, the possibility that they might never see him again.

Wolf was quiet for a few minutes. "My mum thinks I was stuck here for a reason. I don't know if she's right, but I do think that my job here isn't done. And until it is, I'm not going anywhere."

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Rick hoped his nervousness didn't show as they approached Dayton. He hadn't spoken to Nicole since the team left almost two weeks ago, and with each day that passed Rick's confidence had sunk lower and lower. She had promised to have everything packed and ready to go when the team came back through, but there was no guarantee that she was still coming. Rick couldn't help but wonder whether she had changed her mind and decided that moving to Norfolk was actually a terrible idea.

Which would make this stop in Dayton particularly awkward.

"Chill out Miller," Tex drawled from the front seat. "Even if Ms. Clark decides that she doesn't want to see you again, there's no way she is going to turn down an invitation to Commander Garnett's school of wizardry – or turbines. It's the equivalent of a Ph.D. these days."

Well, so much for the hope that nobody would notice how nervous he was. As they pulled up before the house that Rick had been raised in, he was startled to realize that his mind did not immediately go to his mother, but rather to the possibility of a future – one that prominently included Nicole.

Rick wiped sweaty hands on his pants as he descended from the Jeep, straightening his jacket as best as he could while heading towards the house. The two-minute wait after he knocked on the door was torture but, fortunately for Rick, Nicole was the one who answered.

"Rick!" Nicole exclaimed, her face lighting up at the sight of him. Before Rick could speak, Nicole wrapped her arms around him and gave him a tight hug, rising up on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. As she stepped back, Rick could see that her face was flushed and she peered up at him from behind long, dark lashes, as though uncertain of how he would react.

Although he suspected that his face was flaming, Rick leaned down to give her a quick peck on the lips, his confidence bolstered by Nicole's enthusiastic welcome. Nicole bit down on her bottom lip as they parted and, if it was possible, her smile grew broader.

Rick straightened. "Hi."

"Hi."

For long moments neither one of them moved, then Nicole seemed to realize that they were standing in the doorway, letting all the heat out. Her eyes widened. "Oh, come in. Is the rest of your team staying?"

"They are going to head along and set up camp for tonight," Rick explained, following her into the house that was both so familiar and so unfamiliar at the same time. It had been Tex's idea to drop Rick off, and Rick suspected that it was their way of giving him and Nicole a little privacy. "I'll radio them when I am ready to go. We can load your things tonight or tomorrow." As the words left his mouth Rick realized how presumptuous he was being. "Um, I mean, assuming you still want a ride to Norfolk, that is."

Nicole took Rick's hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as she led him to the living room where her parents were waiting. "I have everything packed. We can load tonight if you would like, and then get an early start tomorrow."

Rick exhaled sharply, the tension that had been riding him all day finally relaxing. _She hadn't changed her mind_.

After greeting the Clarks, Rick turned back to Nicole. "I hear that congratulations are in order. You're going to be working with Commander Garnett."

"It's just a spot in the training class, but Commander Garnett said that if I make it through, she has enough positions available for everybody," Nicole explained, her excitement unmistakable. "I just hope that I don't disappoint her. Did you know she has a master's degree in marine engineering _and_ in nuclear engineering?"

Rick didn't have any idea what kind of degrees Commander Garnett had, but he wasn't surprised to find out that she had multiple degrees. The woman was smart, after all. And scary. Very, very scary. "She rebuilt the Nathan James's engine from scratch last summer with spare parts she found in St. Louis."

Mrs. Clark beamed with pride. "From what we hear, the Commander is a brilliant woman. And it sounds like there is so much to be done. Commander Garnett mentioned that she is working on expanding the power grid so we'll have regular power again and not have to rely on generators. And if that works, we might be able to have running water again. There is just so much to do. It's wonderful that our Nicole might be able to help rebuild the country."

"By the way, Rick, a man has been stopping by the house every day or two looking for you," Mr. Clark stated. "He said that he saw your mother's picture up on the memorial wall with some sort of pin and figured you must have put it there. He didn't leave his name but said that he was a family friend."

Rick tried to think of who might have come by looking for him but came up empty. His mother had been friendly with people, but there had been no special man in her life since his father left, and they didn't have many relatives. It could possibly be one of his uncles. None of them had lived around here prior to the virus hitting, but they might have come back looking for Barbara after the cure spread, worried about her being in Dayton on her own.

"Hopefully he stops by tonight," Nicole added. "Otherwise you will probably miss him. We'll be leaving first thing in the morning."

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"Are you sure you don't have more luggage than this, darling?" Tex teased. "Because I have never seen a woman pack so lightly, and I have known a few women in my day."

The sound of Nicole's melodious laugh caused Rick's heart to race. She was smart, gorgeous, and she had a great sense of humor. Rick had no idea why she was interested in him, but he was determined not to blow it.

"I left most of my stuff in my dorm room back in Massachusetts," Nicole explained. "When Dad came to pick me up we didn't have a lot of time to pack, since we were trying to get out of there before they closed the border. When I was throwing things in a bag, I realized that ninety of my stuff wasn't really that important."

"If you need anything after you get to Norfolk, let me know," Alisha replied. "After all, we ladies have to stick together."

Nicole turned towards Rick, an amused look on her face, but before she could say whatever she intended, her attention was caught by somebody behind him. "Oh good, there's the man who has been looking for you, Rick."

Rick turned, a smile playing along his lips as he imaged showing Nicole around Norfolk, maybe even introducing her to Doctor Scott. But at the first glimpse of the man who was approaching, Rick's smile faltered, the blood draining from his face. Of all of the people Rick had considered might be looking for him, this man had not been on the list.

David Miller.

His father.

A man who Rick hadn't seen in more than ten years. A man who had abandoned his wife and young son to start a new life, and a new family. A man who had been absent from his life for so long that Rick hadn't even considered trying to track him down. And yet here he was, standing in front of Rick – alive – when Barbara was dead.

"Hi Erik."

Rick felt his chest compress with barely contained fury at the thought that this man was alive when his precious mother was not.

"I have nothing to say to you." Turning on his heels, Rick ignored the look of surprised concern on Nicole and Alisha's faces. Instead he addressed Tex who, oddly, looked more sad than puzzled. "I think it's time for us to go."


	29. Ken (Tex) Nolan

_Credit to EarlyMorningWriter for the term "emotional toddler" – which I love._

_x_

Chapter 29 – Ken (Tex) Nolan

"I think it's time for us to go."

Tex had heard Rick use that tone of voice only once before, back in Missouri, when the Immunes had attempted to infect an entire campus full of people with the virus before the team had stopped them.

"Is everything okay?" Nicole's voice quivered, her eyes fixed on Rick as he yanked open the door to the jeep with only the tersest of goodbyes.

Tex exchanged a look with Wolf, who gave Tex a quick nod before turning on the charm with the young woman. "Nothing to worry about, darling. We'll be back in the morning to pick you up and Rick can explain everything."

As he slid into the driver's seat, Tex turned to take a good look at Rick. The kid was pale, his lips pressed firmly together, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. Whether or not Rick was willing to admit it, the man outside had shaken him, and Tex could think of only one person who would have prompted this extreme of a reaction.

"That your dad?" Tex asked, not bothering to beat around the bush.

"Yeah."

Although Tex had been fairly certain of the man's identity, Rick's curt response – so out of character for the generally good-natured sailor – was chilling. Adjusting the rear view mirror, Tex watched the man as he stood on the sidewalk indecisively, staring at the jeep. There was something about his eyes, about the way he looked at Rick, that resonated with Tex. It was an expression that he was all too familiar with.

One filled with guilt.

Tex could see Wolf heading back towards the vehicle, Nicole having been escorted safely into the house. "Sure you don't want to hear what he has to say? He might be able to explain some things. "

"I don't need any explanations to know what he did. He left one day and he didn't come back. But it didn't matter. I had my mom and she was better than ten dads."

Tex knew he was pushing too hard, too fast, but he couldn't let it go at that. They were leaving Dayton in the morning and, as they all were far too well aware, there was no knowing what tomorrow would bring. This might be Rick's last chance to make peace with his father. "People make mistakes, Rick."

Silently adding, _I certainly did._

Five Months Ago

_Tex knew from the way Kat was fiddling with her bracelet that she had something on her mind, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that it was probably Claire. He had tried to talk to Kat about her mother a few times, but Kat had always changed the topic, and Tex hadn't pressed the issue. Honestly, he'd been relieved. Just the thought of Claire being gone from the universe made his chest ache. Talking about it was a thousand times worse. Although he and Claire were separated for more years than they were together, there had been something comforting about knowing she was out there, happily living her life – even if that life hadn't included him. And if it was that hard for him to face the reality that Claire was dead, he could only imagine how difficult it was for Kat to consider a life without her mother._

" _I miss her too," Tex said finally._

_Kat looked up, startled, and a sheen of tears appeared in her eyes. "She knew you would come for us. She kept saying we just needed to hold out a little while and then you would be there and everything would be okay."_

_Tex recalled his last conversation with Claire, days before communications had gone down for good. He had made her promise to take Kat and get as far away from people as she could. She had told him of her plan to go to Cort's farm and wait for him there. It sounded as good as anywhere else to Tex. He had hoped to grab a small boat and head for the Florida coast, but then the prisoners they freed turned on them and destroyed the boats, deadset on making sure that none of the guards escaped, and trapping Tex in Cuba. The Nathan James had been his only way off the island, but Tex couldn't help but feel like he should have found another way. One that would not have taken months._

" _I'm sorry that I wasn't there when your mom died," Tex replied._

" _Rachel said that you left them in Baltimore and that you were headed off to find us, but you came back." Kat look straight at him and Tex could do no more than nod. How could he explain that he had chosen to go back to help those he knew were alive, rather than look for his own flesh and blood? "Rachel said that you saved her and Kara from Mrs. Granderson."_

_Tex wondered exactly what Rachel had told Kat. He couldn't imagine that she had gone into detail. He hoped not, anyway. Kat was far too young to be exposed to that sort of depravity. Of course, age didn't mean that much anymore. The things that Kat has seen and done since the virus struck had aged her far more than her fourteen years. "I just helped the team along."_

" _Saving Doctor Scott was really important. Without her we wouldn't have the cure," Kat replied, but Tex noticed that she glanced to the side._

" _Not more important than you mother," he said firmly._

" _If you hadn't gone back, she might not have died."_

_A lump formed in Tex's throat. "I know."_

_He couldn't lie to Kat and tell her that he would have made a different decision if he had known that she and Claire were alive – because he wouldn't have. He couldn't have left without warning them. Not after finding out what the Nathan James was walking into. That wasn't who he was._

" _But Cort was there and he couldn't save her. So it probably wouldn't have made any difference," Kat said sadly._

_Tex opened his mouth, but then stopped. There was no reason to tell Kat all of the reasons why things might have been different if it had been him, rather than Cort, at the house the night Claire died. Because none of it mattered. None of it would bring Claire back. And none of it would make Kat feel better. That guilt was his burden to carry alone._

_Kat smiled at him through her tears. "I'm just glad you found me."_

" _And I will never leave you again."_

Present

Tex could tell from the way that Rick's jaw was moving that his comment had not been well received. "It's different with you and Kat. You were a soldier. You had to leave. And you didn't leave her or your wife without enough money to eat or buy clothes."

Tex had known Rick was raised by a single mom, but he hadn't realized before now what a Grade A asshole the kid's father was. Looking at it from that perspective, Tex could be considered a model absentee ex-husband and father. He had never fought Claire over the support issue, continuing to have his checks deposited into her bank account even after the divorce. Claire had conscientiously opened a separate account in his name where she transferred the balance of the funds after pulling out what she needed (and providing Tex with a full accounting, which he never bothered to look at), but Tex rarely used any of it. In his line of work, most expenses were covered by his employers, and the ones that weren't, well, Tex's tastes weren't exactly high-end.

"I can't say why he did that Rick, but if you want to know the answers, now is your chance. When was the last time you saw him anyway?"

Rick scowled. "I was ten. I don't even know why he's here. He has a new family now."

Tex's already sub-crustacean view of Miller Senior sunk even lower.

"He probably wanted to make sure you were alive," Tex finally offered.

"Well now he knows," Rick snapped. "So he can go back to his life and I can get back to mine. One that does not include him."

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"What do you think they are doing?" Danny asked as he and Tex lounged against the Jeep waiting for Rick. They had arrived to pick up Nicole thirty minutes before and, to the shock of absolutely nobody (except possibly Rick), David Miller had been waiting, shivering, on the sidewalk (apparently banned from either the house or the porch by Nicole). Nicole had appeared apprehensive about David's presence, but Rick had said something that calmed her nerves and she had settled inside the warmth the jeep with Alisha and Danielle while Rick and David had disappeared around the side of the house.

"Well, they could be practicing for a staring contest, but I'm going to bet that they are talking."

Next to him Danny snorted.

"Commodore say anything about what's going on with a battle of the presidents?" Tex asked after a minute.

"Samuel has agreed to an election. Turns out there's some technicality where he might not have been sworn in by a judge. So even though he was ahead of Michener in line, it might not matter."

"Commodore figure that out on his own?" Tex was impressed.

"Actually, it was the nutjob's wife – the one who shot up the processing center. Remember how she was harassing the hell out of the Norfolk City Council about holding her husband without trial? Turns out she isn't that bad of a lawyer."

"They let him out?" Tex was stunned by the idea that Tom Chandler, who hadn't been willing to relax a single rule for Rachel Scott – who killed the worst criminal on the planet - might pardon a man who had held hundreds of people hostage and was responsible for the deaths of at least two.

Danny snorted. "God, no. Even she isn't stupid enough to want him on the streets. She cut some deal with Slattery for him to get counseling and a better room and some other stuff she wanted. In exchange, she's Norfolk's new DA and provides the XO with _advice_ on other related issues."

"That figures," Tex replied with a shake of his head. Slattery did have a way of getting things done. Probably because he didn't mind bending a rule or ignoring an order here or there if it got him where he needed to go. "Samuels probably has some sneaky idea to steal the election anyway. He seems like that sort."

"Do we have to vote?" Danny muttered darkly before adding. "Michener asked Milowsky to run with him. Guess he figured that having someone connected to the cure would help his popularity and Doctor Scott turned him down cold."

"Huh." Tex smirked. "Just think, your ex might end up living in the White House."

"Michener also asked Kara to serve as his senior military adviser," Danny added.

Tex whistled. "That's a pretty damn impressive offer. She going to take it?"

"I think she wants to. It's a hard decision, though. St. Louis is landlocked. Not the best place for a Navy officer to be based out of," Danny admitted. "And we just got settled in Norfolk."

Tex considered Danny. Over the last year he had watched younger man mature from an emotional toddler struggling with the very concept of love, to a devoted husband and father. And through it all, Kara's loyalty had never swayed. If anyone could survive a separation, it was those two.

"So long as you don't follow my example, you'll end up fine." Tex grinned as another thought occurred to him. "Any chance of a promotion with that job? Because it would be pretty damn funny to see you saluting your wife."


	30. Erik (Rick) Miller

_A great big shout out to Tea-Induced Scribbles who inspired me to add an extra scene to this chapter!_

x

Chapter 30 – Erik (Rick) Miller

"Your friends are really nice," Nicole remarked as she joined Rick on the overturned crate he was using as a chair. "Tex was telling me stories about Commander Garnett. He said she's a sucker for chocolate, but I'm not sure I believe him. He seems like a bit of a jokester."

Rick chuckled. While they were in Chicago, Tex had asked everyone they ran into whether they had any chocolate (something that had become scarce without factories running), but had come up empty-handed. Rick had figured that the chocolate was for Kat, but maybe Tex really had found the way to the Commander's heart. "If anyone would know, it's Tex."

"They're dating?" Nicole asked, her surprise apparent.

"No, no," Rick hastened to explain. "Tex's daughter Kat stays with Commander Garnett when we're on the road. So Tex sees her a lot. That's all."

Nicole shuffled her feet. "I'm sorry about what happened at the house – about your dad, I mean. I should have asked who he was. I just figured it was a family friend or something."

For the first time since they set up camp for the night, Rick focused on Nicole. Still reeling from his conversation with his father, he hadn't realized that Nicole felt responsible for the situation.

"It's not your fault. I, um, was just surprised. To see him, I mean," Rick said finally.

_Twelve hours earlier_

" _I know you said that you didn't want to talk but I thought maybe you would change your mind," David Miller explained awkwardly._

_Rick opened his mouth to tell the man to go to hell, but before the words could form, he caught a glimpse of Nicole standing in the doorway. The same doorway where Barbara had stood to scold her twelve-year-old son for running away from Old Man Robinson, the man down the street who was paralyzed on one side and spit when he talked. "It's important to listen to people, Rick. If you talk to Mr. Robinson, you may find that he's led a very exciting life."_

_And Barbara Miller had been right. Turned out that Mr. Robinson had served in Europe during WWII, along with four of his brothers. Mr. Robinson's stories had made it sound like a vacation, with the brothers spending most of their time painting Italy red, even going AWOL once to visit the Tower of Pisa. In the end, Mr. Robinson had been one of the reasons why Rick had elected to join the Navy, imagining himself sharing stories about his travels with his grandchildren someday._

_Conscience of Nicole's presence, as well as the remainder of the team only yards away, Rick nodded his chin towards the back yard. "Okay. But I only have a few minutes. We're going back to Norfolk today."_

x

Rick and Nicole sat awkwardly, both watching the campfire, until Nicole broke the silence. "How long has it been since you saw your father?"

"Almost twelve years. He came to my tenth birthday party with his new wife Jeanette. My first thought was that she was really fat. Mom told me later that she was pregnant. They stayed for a few minutes but had to leave before we cut the cake." Rick picked at a shoelace. "He called a few times after that but always had a reason why he couldn't come to visit."

"Did they move away?" Nicole asked.

"No, he was in Dayton the whole time."

x

_David smiled at Rick. "You look good. Guess the Navy toughened you up."_

_Rick scowled. He had put on muscle mass over the past year, certainly, but he had been in pretty decent shape even before he enlisted. "I played soccer in high school."_

" _I remember. I would stop by your games sometimes on my way home from work."_

_Rick was dumbfounded. "You live here in Dayton?"_

_David had the grace to look embarrassed. "We moved to Arizona to stay with Jeanette's family for a while. But we came back when Luke was six months old."_

" _Luke?"_

" _Your brother." David's face glowed with pride. "He's eleven now. He's so proud of you. He keeps talking about how he wants to grow up to join the Navy like his big brother."_

" _Do you have any other kids?" Rick struggled over the words. Despite knowing that Jeanette had been pregnant the last time he saw her, Rick had never gone so far as to imagine the child. His sibling. His brother._

" _No. Jeanette thought that one was plenty."_

x

"He was here the whole time?" Nicole sounded as shocked as Rick had been.

"Yeah. The whole time that Mom was paying a private investigator to look for him in Arizona, he was across town. They put the house and utilities in his new wife's name and he worked under the table. That's why we couldn't find them."

"Why didn't he come see you then?" Nicole demanded, and Rick noticed that she had one of his hands clasped tightly between both of hers.

x

" _If you were here, why …" Rick trailed off, unable to voice the question that had haunted him for twelve years. Why his father had left – and never come back. And now to learn that David wasn't even in another state. He had been here in Dayton all along._

" _You have to understand," David implored. "I was nineteen when I married Barbara, and you were born less than a year later. I didn't know how to be a husband or a father. And things weren't good between me and your mom. You must have realized that."_

_As a child, Rick hadn't. But as an adult, he could see the problems in his parents' marriage. Problems that he laid squarely at his father's feet. "You could have gotten a divorce. You didn't have to disappear."_

" _Jeanette thought that a clean break would be best. And I had messed things up so much with you and your mom, I figured you would be better off on your own. I had a second chance with Jeanette and Luke. I could start over, do everything right."_

_Rick felt punched in the gut. In other words, David hadn't just dumped Barbara for a new wife. He had also dumped Rick for a new kid._

x

"I guess he didn't want to screw things up with his new wife the way he screwed things up with my Mom," Rick explained as neutrally as possible, but his voice must have given him away because Nicole's hands tightened until Rick could barely feel his fingers.

"What a jerk!"

Rick gaped at Nicole, shocked by her blunt declaration. A light flush began traveling up Nicole's cheeks.

"I mean, I know he's your dad and all, but really, he is," Nicole said, not backed down. "Why did he come to see you anyway?"

x

" _So why are you here then?"_

_David looked at his feet, which had to be wet and cold by now. Unlike Rick, David wasn't wearing waterproof boots. "With all the sickness – I couldn't stop thinking about you. I knew that the Navy was helping supply safe zones and enforcing quarantines, but I didn't know where you were. So I called Barbara. She had been trying to reach you for weeks but nobody would patch her through. The only thing they would tell her was that you were safe and far away from the red zone. I think that gave her a little comfort."_

_Rick imagined his mother, frantically scrambling for the phone as it rang, hoping against hope that it was her only son calling to tell her that he was alive, only to hear the voice of the man who had abandoned her years before. Rick probably would have hung up the phone, but Barbara wasn't that sort of woman. She was classy. She would have told David all about Rick. About high school and soccer and the Navy. Her pride in her son evident._

" _I was really sorry to learn that she died," David added._

" _How did you know that I was here?"_

" _The news is all over town. How you served on the Nathan James. How you volunteered for the vaccination trial. You're a hero Erik. I even saw the medal that you got, the one that you left at the memorial with your mom's picture. Jeanette thought maybe it was time for you to come visit us."_

_God Rick was sick of the words "Jeanette said."_

_And just like that, Rick understood. He understood why Barbara had made excuses for David, why she had always insisted that he wasn't a bad person, that he had many wonderful qualities._

_Because David wasn't a bad person – he was a weak one._

_He was a weak man. A man who hadn't been strong enough to stand up to his new wife and do what he knew was right. And so he had taken the path of least resistance and given up his son. And as much as Rick wanted to hate the man for that, he couldn't. Because there had been another baby, another little boy, who needed David just as much as Rick did – maybe even more. Because Luke hadn't had Barbara Miller in his life to make up for David's failings._

_It was Luke who Rick was imaging about as he spoke. "I'll think about it."_

x

"He wants me to come visit. Meet my brother," Rick explained.

"Do you want to?"

Rick considered the question that he had been mulling over for the past twelve hours. "I don't know."

Nicole leaned her head against his shoulder and Rick wrapped his arm around her without thought. "If you decide to go, let me know. We can come back together."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"What is it like? Having brothers and sisters?" Rick asked as he and Wolf loaded the vehicles the next morning.

Wolf paused. "It's kind of like being on a team. You don't get to pick them but you're stuck with them so you make the best of it. You laugh and you fight and after a while you don't know what you would do without them."

Even after four years in the Navy, Rick could not imagine living with the same people, not just for months, but for years on end. No break from the constant commotion, from the noise, from the jostle for space, from the petty irritations. But, on the flip side, someone always there to talk to, to joke with, to watch your back. So different from the life that Rick had known before he enlisted.

Not that his house had always been empty. Barbara loved to entertain and had encouraged Rick to invite his friends over. But with money tight, Barbara had often worked double shifts, leaving Rick to come home to a silent house after school and soccer practice. When Rick first boarded the Nathan James it had been overwhelming, and yet comforting, to know that there were always people everywhere. On the deck, in the mess, even in his cabin – he was never truly alone.

"Do you think it would be the same if you didn't grow up together?" Rick pressed.

"Why do you ask, Red?"

"I found out that I have a brother. He's eleven."

Wolf leaned against the bumper of the vehicle, arms crossed over chest as he studied Rick. "That's some pretty big news, mate."

"I knew that my dad left because he got some woman pregnant. I just never thought about what that meant. That I had a brother or a sister out there."

"And you want to meet him."

"I'm thinking about it," Rick admitted. He wondered what Luke looked like – whether he was a redhead too. If he liked soccer. If, like Rick had been, he was lonely. "Luke – that's his name. He apparently wants to meet me."

"Well, here's the thing about siblings Miller. They're in your life whether you want them to be or not. So, as far as I can tell, you have two choices. You can meet him. Or you can wait ten years until Luke finds you and explain why you never went to visit him. But either way, you're stuck with each other now. That's just the way it is."


	31. Alisha Granderson

 

Waving goodbye to the group, Alisha slung her bag over her shoulder with the intent of heading home to take a desperately needed shower and get a decent night's sleep. But instead of the three block walk to her apartment, Alisha found herself heading in the opposite direction, towards the barracks where those members of the Nathan James crew who hadn't been located in Norfolk before the virus (and therefore didn't already have housing) had been assigned temporary quarters. Walking to the second floor of Building Five, Alisha knocked on door number 17. She waited ninety seconds before knocking again, knowing that Val never answered her door the first time.

Four minutes passed before Alisha heard a tell-tale shuffling on the other side of the door.

"Who is it?" Val's tone was sharp, her annoyance at being disturbed evident. Alisha wondered what Val was doing. Probably something illegal like hacking a satellite.

"It's me," Alisha answered.

The door swung open to reveal Val's shocked face. "Hi."

"Hi yourself," Alisha replied, amused by Val's outfit, which consisted of gray stretch pants, an old Nathan James t-shirt with the arms cut off and the shirt turned inside out, and a sweatshirt tied around her head to contain her hair.

"I didn't expect you to come by tonight."

Alisha raised an eyebrow. Even if Kara had somehow forgotten to tell Val of their planned arrival tonight, something that seemed unlikely, Alisha knew that Val regularly snooped around the military's network to make sure that she was fully informed of everything going on around her. There was no way she had missed the team's anticipated return tonight. "Are you going to invite me in?"

"Sure. Come in."

Val shuffled backwards, weaving her way through the jumbled piles of motherboards and old servers and other equipment. Alisha followed her, cleaning off a section of the couch so that she could sit. Although Val could work with only a single laptop, she preferred to have unlimited spare parts at her disposal, and her apartment could easily have been mistaken for a supply closest.

Strange, then, how this cluttered mess felt far more comfortable to Alisha than the orderly and luxurious surroundings in Wisconsin.

Alisha took a moment to study Val. The other woman wasn't exactly a master at hiding her feelings, and right now she seemed positively gloomy, like she had spent last week brooding.

"Danny invited me to dinner but I figure that all he really wants to do is jump Kara's bones and I got stuck playing the third wheel enough on the James. No reason to voluntarily repeat the experience. Besides, Danny stinks when he doesn't get his daily shower."

Val chuckled, leaning against the kitchen bar. "How did the two of them pull off a secret affair anyway? I knew within two minutes of seeing them together. They can barely keep their hands off each other."

"The baby belly might have given you an unfair advantage," Alisha replied drily, her attention focusing on the counter behind Val, where a pile of Tupperware sat. "Did Kara send you home with frozen meals?"

Val shrugged. "I think having a kid has triggered some kind of crazy maternal gene. She's acting like my mom and we're practically the same age."

"Do you have anything left? I'm starving."

"Sure." Val eyed Alisha. "But you don't smell all that great yourself. If you want me to feed you, you need to shower first and stop stinking up my apartment."

Ten minutes later Alisha turned off the shower. Hunting through Val's bedroom she found some sweatpants and a t-shirt that looked mostly clean and pulled them on, unbelievably thankful to have something new to wear. Even with the laundry facilities in Chicago, her uniform was so ripe that it could probably stand up by itself.

"I guess you heard that we found Gregory Samuels up in Wisconsin," Alisha noted as she exited the bedroom, still drying her hair with a towel.

"Samuels is a chauvinistic pig," Val replied heatedly. "If he wins the presidency, he'll probably strip women of the right to vote."

Alisha didn't bother to hide her smile at that (extremely unlikely) prediction. "I can't say that I am a fan of his pre-virus politics, but he has some good ideas for rebuilding the country. He wants to bring back some of Roosevelt's recovery programs. It sounds like it might work. Get people out there working to rebuild the country's infrastructure until the private sector stabilizes again."

"Those programs only worked because Roosevelt managed to start a war," Val argued as she set two Tupperware containers filled with spaghetti and meatballs down on the table and uncorked a bottle of red wine. "That's the last thing we need right now."

"Sarah believes in him. She went to St. Louis to help him with his campaign."

Alisha made the statement casually, as though she hadn't just dropped a bomb. Her eyes locked with Val for a brief moment before the other woman retreated to the kitchen to locate forks.

"Did your _fiancé_ ask you to go with her?" Val asked. She twirled a piece of pasta around her fork expertly before depositing it into her mouth, mumbling through the food. "Heard the two of you got engaged."

Alisha didn't know whether she should thank Kara or curse her for keeping Val up to speed on everything that had happened over the course of the trip. This way Alisha didn't have to explain everything to Val, but it also meant that she was going to have to tackle the subject of Sarah straight on.

"I did," Alisha confirmed, "but then I got unengaged."

"So that was what? Three days for a reunion, engagement and then breakup? That's quick, even by Nathan James standards."

The less-than-subtle dig at Danny and Kara did not go unnoticed. Alisha delicately bit into a meatball. "It's generally considered rude to insult somebody while you're eating food they cooked."

The corner of Val's mouth turned up the tiniest degree. "Touché. But it's not like she's going to find out."

"You willing to take the chance of losing future access to home cooked food?" Alisha retorted.

This time Val full out grinned. "I withdraw my comment."

Alisha felt a corresponding smile cross her face. She had missed this. The banter, the one-upmanship, the intellectual stimulation. Sarah was a smart woman and Alisha had always enjoyed talking to her about a broad range of topics, but there was something about these conversations – these battles of wits – with Val that made Alisha feel alive again.

"We got carried away," Alisha said, absently moving her spaghetti around the container. "We jumped into a decision that we both knew wouldn't work because we wanted to believe that everything could go back to the way it was. But it couldn't. Too much had changed."

Alisha refused to put the blame for the engagement debacle on Sarah. Sarah might have been the one to pop the question, but Alisha had been the one to say yes.

"So you're single again?" Val asked, her eyes on her food.

Alisha set her fork down carefully. Leaning back in her chair, Alisha fiddled with her plastic cup of wine – no glasses for Val – while she considered her response. "Sarah and I are done for good. The only question is where you and I stand."

"Pretty sure that getting engaged to somebody else is a good indicator that we didn't have a relationship," Val responded flippantly, continuing to scoop pasta into her mouth as though they were discussing nothing more controversial then the weather.

Alisha swallowed, well aware that she might have screwed things up with Val permanently. First by going on this trip to find Sarah, and then not just getting involved with Sarah, but actually getting engaged to her. Alisha wouldn't blame Val if she wanted nothing to do with her romantically ever again. "I'm sorry Val. I just had to know and once I was there…"

"I get why you wanted to find Sarah, I do," Val interrupted. "I just don't know if I can live with being your second choice."

"The fact that I chose you second doesn't make you second choice, it makes you the final choice," Alisha replied, not sure how to explain the clarity she had felt in Wisconsin, the knowledge that she and Sarah were done for good. "Sarah was my first love. But that doesn't mean we were meant to be together forever. I needed to see her again before I understood that."

Val's eyes were glued on her dinner, fork scraping against the bottom of the Tupperware.

"Does that mean you don't want to pick up where we left off?" Alisha asked.

"And where exactly was that?" Val asked, looking up and meeting Alisha's eyes squarely. "Hanging out at Kara and Danny's house with the guys? Meeting up in the cafeteria for lunch? Being friends with the occasional benefits?"

"I was thinking that we could date," Alisha answered as calmly as she could, even though her heart was pounding.

Val finished the last few scraps of her dinner and rose to rinse out the container before checking something in the freezer. Sitting back down, she swallowed the remainder of her wine in one gulp.

"I suppose we could try that," Val said finally. "If nothing else, it's free food and looks like I'm almost out of frozen meals."


	32. Ken (Tex) Nolan

 

Tex sighed with relief when they finally pulled into Norfolk. It had been two long days of travel since leaving Dayton Ohio, and everybody was ready for a break – both from being on the road _and_ from being with each other.

"What do you want to do first?" Rick was asking Nicole in the backseat.

"I was hoping to meet Commander Garnett tonight," Nicole replied. "But given how late it is, I'm not sure if she will still be here."

Tex chuckled. "Oh, she'll be here. The woman practically lives on base."

"You would know," Danny retorted before turning to wink at Nicole. "Tex's daughter stays with the Commander when he's out of town. The way the two of them talk you would think that they were an old married couple. _Say Tex, are you going to be home tonight? Because Kat has a night off and I was thinking taking her shopping and maybe out to eat but I don't want to leave you home alone. I have to work late tonight anyway, honey, you two go and have fun._ "

Danny's falsetto drew laughs, but Tex had to admit that Danny wasn't that far off base. Tex and Andrea had easily fallen into a pattern of shared responsibility for Kat, something that he and Claire had never really been able to figure out. Apparently that was the advantage to not actually being divorced.

"Maybe after we look for the Commander, we could go get something to eat," Nicole continued with a shy glance at Rick, who promptly turned beet red.

"Um, yeah, that sounds great. I can show you the cafeteria," Rick jabbered. Tex fought to keep a smile off his face. Rick was just so young and green. Like a babe in the woods when it came to women. Fortunately, Tex enjoyed watching young love blossom. Otherwise he probably would have expired on the spot from the pure sugar overload of Nicole and Rick together.

"I have a better idea, mate. You two should go to the little cafe next to town hall," Wolf interjected.

"Oh that sounds lovely," Nicole's face brightened. "Would you like to join us?"

"Yeah, you should come, Wolfman," Rick added, although his voice lacked enthusiasm over the idea. Tex hid another smile behind a cough. Rick had it bad if he was ditching his boy Wolf for a girl.

"I would love to join you, but I have other plans," Wolf demurred, with a wink at Tex.

As they pulled onto the base, Tex asked the guard on duty where Commander Garnett was, both for Nicole's benefit and for his own. Ten to one, with Tex out of town, Kat would be with Andrea.

Since Tex's reunion with Kat in Missouri, their lives had become inextricably connected with Andrea Garnett. At first Tex had been surprised when Kat latched onto the engineer. Andrea certainly didn't resemble Claire, either in looks or in personality. In fact, Tex had trouble finding any way in which the two were similar (besides their obvious devotion to their daughters). While Claire hadn't been a pushover, she had been an indulgent mother who rarely denied her only daughter anything of significance. By contrast, Andrea Garnett was a strict taskmaster, more used to dealing with macho eighteen year old boys than hormonal fourteen-year old girls. Not to say that Andrea didn't have a softer side – Tex had seen her maternal side firsthand back in that hospital tent on the Nathan James when Kara took a turn for the worse – but she certainly was much more reserved than Claire had ever been. Yet Kat had thrived under Andrea's tutelage. She had encouraged the teen's curiously and mechanical nature and, maybe for the first time in Kat's life, her tendency to tinker was more of an advantage than an inconvenience.

It didn't take long for Tex, Rick and Nicole to locate Commander Garnett who, as anticipated, had Kat with her, the two with their heads inside the hood of an SUV.

"Someone told me that I could find my daughter here but all I see are two grease monkeys," Tex said loudly.

Kat spun around, grease streaking her cheek. "Dad! You're home!"

"There you are Katie," Tex replied, wiping the streak from her cheek.

"Daaad!" Despite the exasperated tone of Kat's voice, she was smiling as she gave Tex a tight hug.

"I hope this one behaved for you, Commander," Tex said in a mock serious tone as he ruffled Kat's hair. "Otherwise I'll have to eat the chocolate I liberated from Wisconsin all by myself."

"We muddled along just fine without you, Tex," Andrea replied firmly, but the slightest twitch of her lips gave her away. She turned towards Rick and Nicole. "And who do we have here?"

Tex watched with pride as Rick barely stuttered while introducing Nicole to Andrea. "This is Nicole Clark, Commander. One of your new students."

"I'm so excited to meet you, Commander. And I'm honored to be chosen for your training program. When I left school I never thought that I would get an opportunity like this again," Nicole spoke quietly, her voice quivering slightly on the last few words.

"It's a pleasure to meet you as well," Andrea responded in her brisk manner, taking no apparent notice of Nicole's emotional state. "It's not every day that I run into someone who went to MIT, even if you weren't able to finish. I am positive that you will be an excellent addition to the team."

Nicole flushed, her eyes dropping. "That's very kind of you to say."

"Shouldn't you kids be off?" Tex asked after a few more minutes of chit-chat. He winked at Andrea. "These lovebirds have dinner plans tonight."

"Unless you need something, ma'am, of course," Rick swiftly amended.

Although the offer hadn't been aimed at him, Tex responded. "Actually Miller, if you are heading that way, my laundry does need to be dropped off."

Andrea shot Tex a repressive stare. "I don't need anything right now. We will be starting your training first thing tomorrow morning, Ms. Clark. I will pick you up at 0800 but until then you are free to spend your time as you see fit. And Tex here can take care of his own laundry."

"I'll be ready," Nicole responded, before turning to Rick with a giggle. "Should we go?"

"So what are the two of you doing here?" Tex inquired as Nicole and Rick left, his arm sneaking around her waist as they walked.

"We're trying to convert this engine to a hybrid running on solar and natural gas," Kat explained enthusiastically. "If we can get it to work, we won't have to worry about the fuel supply. Miss Hennigan is letting me work with Andrea on it as my science project this semester."

"How did you get so smart," Tex asked. "Hey, anyone interested in trying out that new cafe in town? I hear good things."

"I'm on duty tonight," Kat said remorsefully. "Master Chief Jeter said I could skip if you got home, but he is going to let me shadow him on the bridge and I really want to go. You don't mind, do you?"

Tex felt a pang of nostalgia for the days when he would breeze into town and Claire and Kat would drop everything and they would all go out to eat and then to an amusement park or the fair or the movies. "Of course not."

"I'm really glad that you're home, Dad," Kat said, giving him another tight hug before packing up her gear. "So rain check? Tomorrow night?"

"You betcha, kiddo."

Tex watched as Kat walked away, wistfulness for the old days giving way to pride in his daughter and how seriously she was taking her studies and internship. Someday she, like Andrea, would be at the top of her field.

"You know you never answered me," Tex noted, turning to Andrea. "What do you think? Mushroom caps with, say, a nice dry martini?"

"Please tell me you aren't still using that same lame pick-up line," Andrea replied with a roll of her eyes. "It's just as bad now as it was when you used it on Doctor Scott during the vaccine trials."

"Can't blame a man for trying," Tex replied jovially. "One of these days, it might actually work."

Andrea was busy packing up her gear. Finally she stood, shaking her head as she smiled ruefully. "Careful what you wish for Tex. It might just come true."


	33. Teylor Cruz

Teylor headed towards the hospital. He could have gone straight home, well, straight to Danny and Kara's house where he was effectively living, but he suspected (or hoped) that Caro had switched shifts so she wouldn't have to work graveyard on his first night back. They had been gone for almost a month and the sense of contentment that Teylor had felt after his radio conversation with Caro in Chicago had vanished in the days since, leaving him feeling vaguely apprehensive about his reception. There was no telling what Caro had been doing or thinking while he was gone. For all he knew, she might have changed her mind about their entire relationships and decided to dump him on his ass.

As he approached the nurse's station, he could hear Caro issuing orders to two rather young assistants, probably some of the teenage interns. He stopped in the hallway, lounging against the door jam as he drank in the sight of her standing there in her scrubs, curls pulled back in a clip to keep them off her face. There was no denying the fact that Caro was very good at what she did. Efficient, confident, and organized, Caro had no problem conveying to others exactly what she wanted done. She would have made an excellent Navy commander – assuming that she didn't get herself kicked out of boot camp for insubordination.

The teens noticed Teylor first, one of them raising her hand to hide a smile and the other one winking at him. Neither one alerted Caro to his presence, but she swiftly picked up on their distraction.

"Is there something the two of you want to tell me?" Caro's voice was non-nonsense.

"No, but you may want to look behind you," one of them said, pointing towards Teylor as the other girl started giggling. Teylor knew the moment Caro realized it was him, her face shifting from annoyance to elation.

"Teylor!" Caro launched herself at him, arms encircling his neck and legs wrapping around his waist as she buried her head in his shoulder. "You're home!"

Teylor pulled her tightly against him, taking in the warmth of her body, the scent of her shampoo, the feeling of her arms wrapped around him so tightly that it almost hurt. When Caro lifted her face from his shoulder, Teylor realized that she was crying. He lifted one hand to brush away the tears as he set her back on her feet, leaning in to give her a brief kiss, making sure to pull away before it got out of hand.

"I guess I should go away more often if that's the welcome home I get," he teased. Caro stuck her tongue out at him.

"I have another 45 minutes on my shift," Caro begin, frowning.

"And I need a shower and a shave and a fresh set of clothes," Teylor interrupted.

Caro reached up to touch his cheek, biting down on her bottom lip. "I don't know. The beard is kind of sexy."

Teylor lifted an eyebrow. On the ship he never would have gotten away with it but as part of the land crew...well, Danny certainly wasn't going to say anything and even Carlton occasionally rocked the scuff these days.

"Figured I would head to my apartment to clean up. Swing by when you're done? We can head home together."

"Definitely." With a sexy grin, Caro leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "And there's no reason we have to go right home. Might be nice to have you to myself for a few hours."

Teylor was whistling as he took his leave, slipping Caro his spare key. It took him a few minutes to get to his apartment on base, a place he had been back to only a handful of times since the James returned to Norfolk. Fortunately, while the majority of his stuff was at Danny and Kara's house, he had left a few things here, mostly civilian clothing that he rarely used nowadays. But there was also some shampoo in the bathroom and a couple cans of beer in the fridge. He cracked one, even though it was well past the expiration date, on the theory that alcohol didn't go bad, it just aged. Before heading into the shower, Teylor stopped before the kitchen table, pulling two well-worn pieces of paper out of his front pocket.

He opened the envelope first, staring down at the familiar loops of his mother's handwriting, reading the words that he knew by heart one last time before setting the letter, unfolded, on the table. Next he set down the second piece of paper, the one in Caro's handwriting, listing both the size of her ring finger and providing him with a practical guide in the form of a small circle. Pulling off his dog tags, Teylor removed his mother's ring, rolling in between his fingers before setting it on top of the small circle, which it overlay perfectly.

Teylor took his time cleaning up, blatantly ignoring the five-minute limit on showers (the rule really should be five minutes per day, and since he hadn't showered in a week, that gave him at least thirty minutes), before pulling on a clean pair of jeans and a long-sleeved polo. Checking his watch, Teylor realized that he still had another twenty minutes before Caro would arrive, and that assumed she left on time. Grabbing another beer from the fridge, Teyler laid down on the narrow bed, closing his eyes and letting his mind drift as he recalled the events of the past month.

_Wolf and Alisha singing, their voices in perfect harmony._

_Rick muffling his tears with his pillow, not wanting anyone to know much he was grieving._

_The feeling of helplessness upon learning about the break-in at Danny and Kara's house._

_Danny notifying the Smith family of Jason's death._

_Carlton finding his brother and cousin._

_Tex hunting Chicago for chocolate.s_

_The discovery that Gregory Samuels was alive, and the Pandora's box that discovery had opened._

_Carlton making peace with Cameron._

_Sarah showing off her ring, and then the ring disappearing._

_Wolf getting news from Australia._

_Rick's dad – a man that had never been on any of their radar – showing up alive._

_Nicole kissing Rick._

But more than anything else, Teylor's thoughts focused on the days before he left Norfolk: not so much the fight with Caro, but her showing up to send him off and giving Danny that piece of paper with her ring size. Whether it meant what he thought, or perhaps hoped, it meant. Whether Caro was ready to take the next step with him, and whether she still felt that way, or if a month apart had given her a far too realistic demonstration of what being a military wife was like.

Teylor wasn't sure how long he laid there, the same questions running through his head over and over, before he heard the apartment door open. Caro entered quietly, and he heard her drop her coat and bags on the chair, probably assuming he was asleep from the lack of light in the apartment. There was a slight rustling and he knew that she had picked up the papers from the table. He tried to picture what she looked like standing at the table, still wearing her scrubs, maybe having pulled the clip out of her hair so that it fell around her face like a messy halo. She would read the letter once, maybe twice, taking longer than normal as she struggled to read the words in her rusty Spanish. Maybe she would roll the ring around in her fingers as she read, the way she and Danny did with coins, both of them seemingly unable to stop fidgeting.

He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear her enter the bedroom. "How did you do it?"

Teylor's eyes popped open at the question, before slowly sitting up, slightly surprised to see that Caro had taken the time to change into a pair of slacks and one of those fancy blouses that tie around the neck in a knot. Teylor vaguely wondered how difficult it would be to get off before turning his attention back to her question.

"Do what?"

Caro sank down, straddling him, leaning forward until their foreheads touched and he could almost taste the tears that shimmered on her face.

"How did you keep going? I had my mom and Danny and Chris, but you lost everyone. How did you do it?"

Teylor thought back to those first dark days, when he hadn't been sure that he _could_ keep going. When he had blamed God and the government and himself for what had happened, for letting them die, for not saving them When the only reason that he continued to get up in the morning, the only reason he hadn't walked into his parents' house and never left, was because of the team. He couldn't abandon them, not when they had already been through so much. For months that was how he had made it through the day, that burning desire not to cause the team – still reeling from the loss of Benz and Berchem and Smith and Cossetti and Bivas and Chung and Lynn and Walker – any more pain.

And then in Connecticut, when he saw Caro, everything had changed.

For the first time since that day in Louisiana, he had actually felt a spark of hope for the future. And in the months since, he had started to believe that the words his mother wrote in that letter were not just the delusions of a woman on her death-bed. He had even imagined what it would be like to see his mother's ring adorn another finger, Caro's finger, as his mother had wanted.

"The guys kept me going until I found you," Teylor replied, his voice hoarse.

"They were there for you when I couldn't be. I didn't even know you were alive," Caro replied.

Teylor paused, not wanting to ruin the moment, but knowing that it had to be said. "That's why I can't leave the team, the Navy. As long as they are going out there, I have to be with them. Even if it means being gone for months at a time."

Caro's hands tightened on his biceps as she sucked in a deep breath. She leaned back slightly and he saw the same riotous emotions that he was feeling reflected in her eyes: the love, the fear, the resolution.

"I know that, Teylor. I thought about what you said before you left – about needing to be there for them and I get it. It's the same reason I stayed in Cornwall instead of going to Norfolk to look for Danny after my dad died. There were people depending on me. I couldn't leave them behind. This month was hard, but I survived." Teylor opened his mouth but Caro covered it with her palm. "The only thing… I don't know if I could do this with kids. I saw what Kara went through with Frankie. It was a lot. I helped when I could but …I don't think I could do that. Not right now."

The image of a baby boy with jet black hair and blue-green eyes, the one that he had seen regularly in his dreams since Chicago, flashed through Teylor's mind but he pushed the picture aside. Right now, this was enough.

"Well, fortunately, I'm not on the Danny Green family building timeline," Teylor replied lightly. "No reason to rush it. We aren't even married."

And there it was, the question that Teylor had been waiting a month to ask. Caro opened her fist to reveal his mother's band.

"I would be honored to wear your mother's ring, to wear your ring," Caro said tearfully. "I didn't know – I didn't _understand_ what it meant to you. And I'm sorry about what I said. I just don't think before I speak sometimes and…"

Teylor raised his hands to frame Caro's face, cutting off the flow of words with a kiss. When their lips parted, Teylor reached down to take the ring from Caro.

"Caroline Green, will you marry me?"

Caro held out her left hand, which trembled slightly as he slid the ring on, before drawing her hand up to and kissing each of her fingers and then her palm.

"Yes."


	34. Carlton Burk

 

Carlton watched as Rick, Nicole, and Tex left to locate Kat and Commander Garnett. Teylor had disappeared within moments of their arrival, heading to the hospital to find Caroline no doubt, and Alisha had pulled a similar disappearing act without saying goodbye. Seeing that Wolf was helping Cameron unload their gear from the jeep, Carlton headed towards Danny.

"Are you going to debrief Admiral Chandler tonight or wait for morning?"

"Tonight," Danny replied. "Frankie will be asleep by the time I get home anyway. I figure that I can talk to the Admiral tonight and then take tomorrow morning off. Apparently Frankie learned how to roll over while I was gone. Can't wait to see it for myself."

Carlton barely kept a straight face at the idea of resident SEAL Danny Green rushing home to watch his infant daughter roll over. "Say hi to Kara for me. I'll bring Cameron and Danielle over in the next day or two to say hello."

"Pretty sure that Alisha and Kara are going to want to throw a party of some kind. Leave Saturday night open for it," Danny responded unenthusiastically.

"You know that Cameron is going to expect some kind of hazing when he learns that you, of all people, plans to throw him a welcome party."

Danny barked out a laugh as he glanced over at Cameron. "Was my Slattery act a little too much?"

"Nope, it was just right," Carlton replied, grinning as he thought of Cameron's frustration, and perplexity, at Danny's hardnosed treatment – the kind that the XO loved to dish out to fresh recruits. "It was kind of fun watching him squirm. But probably time to lay off."

Danny grinned as he threw his bag over his shoulder. "Works for me. The way I see it, your brother is the Admiral's problem now."

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"This is my brother, sir. Lieutenant Commander Cameron Burk. He was attached to the Milius previously. And my cousin, Danielle Burk."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Ms. Burk, Commander," Admiral Chandler replied, taking a few extra moments to examine Cameron before gesturing for them to sit.

Admiral Chandler addressed Danielle first. "I understand that you are a teacher by training, Ms. Burk, and have been working with the Chicago authorities to locate family members for orphaned children there. Colonel Browder passed along a number of recommendations from your former colleagues, all of who endorse you whole-heartedly."

Danielle's face glowed at the praise. "We have been very fortunate in Chicago, and were able to reunite the majority of the children with family. I hear from Carlton that you are getting a lot of unescorted minors arriving here in Norfolk."

"That's correct," Admiral Chandler responded. "We have been trying to place the younger children with families here in town but obviously locating relatives would be preferable. If you are interested in the job it comes with housing here on base and access to the cafeteria, as well as a small salary. President Michener is still working on getting the dollar stabilized, but I imagine in the future that will be more meaningful."

"I would love to help in whatever capacity you need, Admiral," Danielle replied.

"As for you Commander Burk," Admiral Chandler flipped open the manila folder on his desk, "you have been recommended to me as the new TAO on the Nathan James, which will be heading to South America and then around to Asia shortly. Normally I would never allow brothers to serve on the same ship but, under the circumstances, I believe we can make an exception."

Cameron appeared startled. "Did Captain Kane survive?"

"No, unfortunately," Admiral Chandler responded sympathetically.

"Then who recommended me, sir, if I may ask."

Admiral Chandler raised his eyebrow in mannerism that Carlton knew well. Apparently Carlton was not the only person who had been amused by Danny's hardnosed XO routine. "Lieutenant Green. He said in his report that you were a valuable asset in Wisconsin, especially when dealing with Mr. Samuels' demands during the trip to Chicago. He states that you remained calm under pressure and conducted yourself in a professional manner at all times. All good traits in a TAO."

Cameron's jaw tightened until Carlton could actually hear his teeth grinding. His brother looked ready to explode.

"I thought you might also be interested to know that the cruise ships which were being supplied by the Milius were able to remain at sea until the cure reached them. The supplies that you and the helicopter crew dropped onto the ship after the Milius was exposed to the virus were crucial to those people's survival." Admiral Chandler paused to let that information sink in. "I hope that you will bring that same dedication to your new position."

Cameron's voice was husky when he responded. "I will, sir. Thank you for letting me know."

Admiral Chandler nodded. "Now if you and Ms. Burk will excuse us, I have a few things to discuss privately with Lieutenant Burk."

As soon as the door closed behind Danielle and Cameron, Admiral Chandler turned his piercing blue eyes on Carlton. "Time to give me the rundown on Samuels, and whether you think we are backing the wrong horse."

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By the time he left Admiral Chandler's office, the wind had picked up and Carlton pulled his heavy jacket tightly around him for the half mile walk to his apartment. Ensign Johnson, released from escort duty for Caroline due to Teylor's return, had shown Cameron and Danielle to their assigned quarters and, as Carlton headed home, he appreciated the solitude. The trip north had been so all-consuming, physically and mentally, that there had little time to process all that had happened.

Discovering, officially, that his parents were dead had not been the most emotional part of the trip for Carlton. Unlike Rick, who had held out hope of his mother's survival until the bitter end, Carlton had accepted that his family was gone months prior. Learning that Cameron was alive – despite what had happened to the Milius – had been far more of a shock. And while Carlton was glad that he and his brother had made their peace, he knew that it would take time to rebuild the easy camaraderie that used to exist between the.

But it was not thoughts of his family that weighed on Carlton's mind as he unpacked his bags in the apartment that he had never finished decorating. Kara used to joke that Carlton was a closet minimalist, but truthfully he had always assumed that this apartment was merely a temporary stop, a bachelor pad that he would use for a few years until he married. But when he finally found a woman he could imagine spending the rest of his life with, there had been no time to show her his home – either here or in Chicago – or introduce her to his parents or even go on a date. Before he had really had a chance to get to know her, Ravit had been gone, almost as though she never existed.

Walking to the mantle, Carlton picked up the framed photograph he had placed there, taken on an afternoon when the team took advantage of the sun to train on the deck of the Nathan James. He and Ravit were standing next to each other in the shot, flanked on either side by Tex and Danny and Wolf and Rick and Teylor. Kara had snapped the picture just after they left Florida, in the lull between their departure from the Immunes' compound and their tragic arrival in New Orleans.

Carleton smiled as he remembered pulling Kara aside later that afternoon to ask a favor, one which she had been only to happy to help him with.

_Eight months ago – Gulf of Mexico_

_"_ _Hey, Bivas, wait up!"_

_Carlton jogged down the deck until he caught up with Ravit, Wolf smiling indulgently as he dropped back, pulling Rick with him, to give the two some semblance of privacy._

_"_ _You need something?" Ravit said, her attention focused on Tex and Danny as they climbed down to the RHIB, Flea between them complaining incessantly. Carlton was glad he hadn't pulled that assignment and, instead, would remain on the James with the rest of the team until it was time to approach the New Orleans civilian fleet. The chatter would have driven him crazy._

_"_ _Happy birthday."_

_Carlton pulled a small, thin package out from behind his back. Ravit glowered at Carlton before flipping Wolf the middle finger, drawing a rueful shake of the Aussie's head. "I suppose Taylor is to blame for this."_

_"_ _Does that mean you don't want your gift?" Carlton teased._

_Ravit tipped her head to the side, as though seriously considering the question, before snatching the package from his hand and tearing it open to reveal hair accessories – the kind that looked like fancy chopstick. Kara had gotten them from Commander Garnett in exchange for a package of M &Ms that Carlton had won off Rick, and had assured Carlton that they would look perfect in Ravit's hair._

_Ravit was uncharacteristically quiet as she stared at the sticks in her hand, causing Carlton to shift awkwardly, suspecting that she hated the gift. Then she gave him a cheeky grin. "These are beautiful, but they don't match my uniform. Not sure when I will use then."_

_Carlton gave her a slow smile. "I bet I can help you with that."_

Present

Carlton was startled by a knock on the door. Returning the photograph to the mantle, he opened the door to find Wolf holding a six-pack. "Saw you walk by. Looked like you could use a drink."

Reflecting on the empty state of his refrigerator, Carlton took the offered beer. "Come on in."

Carlton returned from the kitchen to find Wolf gazing at the team picture. "I remember that day. Ravit kicked your ass at hand-to-hand."

"She was a mean operator, for a girl."

Wolf straightened, meeting Carlton's gaze. "Glad we haven't lost anyone else."

Carlton stared at the photograph. In the aftermath of Ravit's death, he had lost sight of the fact that, out of seven people, six of them were still alive. It was something he didn't want to forget again. Setting down his unopened beer, Carlton eyed Wolf. "Not that I don't appreciate the alcohol, but might not go over well on an empty stomach. I hear that new café downtown is good."

"You want to crash Rick's date?" Wolf responded dubiously. "That's cold, brah."

"Think of it as observation – we'll only intervene if Miller is about to blow it."

Wolf gathered his jacket. "Ten bucks says my boy is doing just fine on his own."

"You're on."


	35. Danny Green

 

As Danny pulled up before the two-story Colonial that he and Kara had moved into four months prior, he felt a pang of regret. The day he had first arrived here, he had imagined it being the home they lived in forever – the home where they raised their children. He had pictured Frankie and (hopefully) her little brothers and sisters tumbling around the yard with Halsey while he and Kara sat on the porch drinking their coffee and chatting about their days. He had seen barbeques in the backyard where Tex would spin outrageous stories and Eddie would insist that "well-done" did not mean "fried to a crisp." Danny had even dreamed of a day far in the future when he and Kara would be old and gray and it would be their grandchildren, rather than their children, who played hide-and-seek here. But now it looked like that wasn't the path he and Kara were destined to take, and while he was honored by the opportunities from President Michener and Admiral Chandler, he couldn't help but feel a sense of loss that the future he imagined was not meant to be.

On the other hand, given what had happened here three weeks ago, perhaps a fresh start in St. Louis was exactly what they needed.

An excited bark was Danny's only notice before Halsey came tearing out of the house, almost plowing Eddie over in the process. The German Shepard came to stop a foot away from Danny, sitting, his tongue out and tail wagging impatiently as Danny bent down to give him a well earned head-scratching. "Good boy, taking care of mama and sister."

"That dog listens to Frankie better than me," Eddie grumbled as he joined them, giving Danny a slap on the back.

"Apparently he knows where you fall in the chain of command," Danny joked, before adding, more seriously. "He only follows orders from one person at a time, but he should obey you if Kara and I aren't around."

Eddie chuckled. "Well, since that's never going to happen, I guess I should get used to being ignored. About time you got home, by the way. If I stay here much longer I am not going to fit in my uniform anymore. Kara is a hell of a cook."

"I know. I missed her dinners," Danny responded. Upon moving in, it had been a pleasant revelation to learn that Kara knew her way around a kitchen, and Danny had quickly adjusted to home-cooked dinners, one more thing that he had missed over the past month. "I really appreciate you staying, though. Made it a little easier being away."

A simple statement, but Danny knew Eddie would understand everything that he couldn't put into words. How much it meant knowing that there were people here watching out for his family in his absence. How hard it had been to learn that Kara and Frankie were in danger when he was hundreds of miles away.

"Anytime," Eddie responded casually. "But I doubt you want to spend your first night home talking to me so I'll take myself off."

"Don't you need to get Tyler first?" Danny asked.

"I figured that you and Kara might want some privacy tonight. Well, as much privacy as you can manage with your family here, so I asked Mrs. Tophet to watch him," Eddie replied just a touch too casually.

"Convenient," Danny responded, grinning. "You and Kelly should come over on Saturday night. I assume Kara is going to want to throw some kind of get together to welcome the new arrivals and you do not want to miss seeing Miller hover over his girl. He's got it bad."

Eddie gave a resigned sigh. "Did Kara tell you?"

"About Kelly? Nope. Tex did – about two months ago. Apparently the tip-off was that you mentioned going over her house to fix a faucet three weeks in a row."

"Damn Nevadian," Eddie muttered. "I really did fix her faucet you know."

Danny laughed outright that time. "I'm sure you did. Once."

"It's weird, seeing someone else," Eddie said after a moment. "I find myself wondering what Amber would think."

Danny took a moment to consider not just Eddie's words, but the slightly lost tone he used whenever he mentioned his wife. Eddie and Amber had been inseparable since they met as college freshmen and, in addition to being Eddie's wife, Amber had also been, without question, Eddie's best friend and closest confidant. Her loss had devastated Eddie on every level. While Danny was initially surprised by the idea of Eddie dating, he was happy that his friend had found some measure of peace, and Danny had no doubt that Amber would feel the same way.

"Amber would have been the first person to tell you that life is too short to live in the past," Danny replied. "And she would have liked Kelly. She's a good mom to Ava. She would be a good mom to Tyler."

The lines on Eddie's face eased as he reached forward to clasp Danny on the shoulder. "I'm glad you are home. See you tomorrow."

Whistling for Halsey, Danny headed towards the house. Kara stood just inside the doorway waiting for him, her hair loose and floating around her shoulders, dressed in jeans and a long-sleeve lavender shirt, biting her bottom lip. Dropping his bag, Danny kicked the door closed as he pulled her close, her hands rising to cup his face as their lips met and clung, no words necessary to convey what they were feeling.

God, he hadn't been prepared for how much he would miss this – the subtle strength in her petit frame, her warmth, her scent – how much he would miss _her_. How often over the course of a day he would think of something he wanted to share with her. How much he relied on her to help him make decisions. How the simple act of being in her presence grounded him.

_And it had only been a month._

A sound from the kitchen caught Danny's attention and he raised his head, instantly alert. Kara's hands dropped to his chest, putting a few inches between them, as she wrinkled her nose.

"Your mother," she explained.

Not for the first time, Danny cursed himself for letting – actually suggesting – that Joanne (and Chris) stay with them until his mother's leg was fully healed. Disappearing upstairs with Kara, which was Danny's first choice, would certainly be awkward with his mother present and, given her limited mobility, it wasn't as if they could ask Joanne to go somewhere else for the night.

As though reading his mind, Kara added. "Joanne offered to watch Frankie for the evening if we wanted to go out. There's a new café that opened downtown. I went there with Andrea one day for lunch and it was really good."

Danny considered his options. It _would_ be nice to have a real date with Kara – they certainly hadn't had many – and there was a lot they needed to discuss. Plus, there was the added benefit of seeing how Rick was faring – or faltering.

"Frankie's asleep then?" Danny asked, although he was almost certain of the answer.

"She is, but you can take a peak. It won't wake her up," Kara added. "We should let your mother know you are here first, though."

Ten minutes later, Danny stood by Frankie's crib, gazing down at his four-month old daughter as she lay asleep, her face scrunched up slightly as she sucked intently on two of her fingers. He leaned down to stroke her cheek, feeling her silky smooth skin and delicate hair, until Frankie's face relaxed into a smile. If she had changed this much in only a month, what would she be like if he was gone for six or nine or twelve? Would she be sitting and walking and talking by the time he returned?

"She's gotten so big."

His voice cracked on the last word and Kara slid her hand over Danny's on the crib rail. "You had a job to do – you _have_ one. She'll understand that, when she's older."

"The Admiral talked to you then?"

"Rachel did." Kara turned her head to meet his gaze. "Based on her epidemiological models, if the cure doesn't spread through Asia at the targeted rate, we face the risk of a resurgence. The Chinese government asked for you specifically. You have to go, Danny."

He should have known that Kara, of all people, would understand. "And you should take the job that Michener offered. Military advisor to the president. Even if Samuels wins the election, he would be a fool to replace you. You can do a lot of good, and you won't have to leave Frankie."

_"_ _Thank you."_

Danny tipped his head to the side, confused by the unshed tears glittering in Kara's eyes. "For what?"

"For understanding why I have to take the job. I love you and I love Frankie, but I can't stand on the sidelines when I can help. Especially not now."

"I know." Danny brought an arm up to encircle Kara's shoulders, resting his chin on her hair. "Admiral Chandler thinks the cruise will be about six months. Maybe once I get back we can work on that other project."

"What other project?"

"Project Make-Frankie-A-Playmate," Danny replied.

Kara's head shot up, barely missing Danny's chin. She gave him her favorite no-nonsense look. "We will discuss that at a later date, Lieutenant."

Danny chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

"As for now." Kara grabbed Danny's hand and tugged him out of Frankie's room. "I figure that we have about fifteen minutes before your mother starts wondering what we are doing up here. How much of that do you need to make yourself presentable?"

"Two minutes should do it."


	36. Wolf Taylor

 

"You should have seen Cameron's face," Carlton snickered. "I thought for sure he was going have a stroke when Admiral Chandler said that Green was the one who recommended him as the James's TAO."

Wolf chuckled. Green's method of dealing with Cameron Burk wasn't one that Wolf himself would have used, but it _had_ been amusing to watch, as well as a decent test of Cameron's skills under pressure.

The two were so involved in their conversation that they didn't notice Tex approaching until the gruff Nevadian was almost on top of them. "Didn't expect to run into the two of you. Going to check on Miller?"

"Just thought we'd see how it was going," Carlton protested. "Making sure that he didn't need any help."

"What do you have riding on it?" Tex asked shrewdly.

"Twenty on my boy Red," Wolf replied.

Carlton shot Wolf a disgruntled look. "We're not going to stay. Just take a peek and maybe get some of that food to go. Has to be better than the cafeteria."

"What are you doing here anyway, mate? Figured you'd be with your girl." Wolf commented.

"She picked Master Chief over me," Tex replied grumpily, although he appeared less put out than his tone would suggest. "Apparently shadowing Jeter on the bridge was far more tempting than a night out with her old man, even when I promised her breaded mushrooms."

"Breaded mushrooms?" Carlton gagged. "No wonder she turned you down. Should have offered her pizza."

" _Some_ people can appreciate the finer things in life," Tex retorted.

Wolf chuckled. "I might just have to try these breaded mushrooms."

Wolf opened the door, allowing Tex and Carlton to proceed into the café, where they were immediately accosted by a rather large man wearing a formal black suit and an honest-to-god boutonniere. Wolf and Carlton exchanged looks as the man barreled towards them.

"Tex! My friend! Please, come in! When did you get back to town?"

Wolf shook his head wryly. _Of course_ Tex was on excellent terms with the owner of the café.

"Marcus, you old dog." Tex slapped the man on the back, then dropped his voice conspiratorially. "Just got back into town today. See the kids over there in the corner?" Everyone glanced across the restaurant to the small table where Rick was bent towards Nicole, his eyes fixed on her face as she fiddled with her silverware before looking up with a shy smile. Neither seemed to have noticed them – yet. "Miller's one of my guys. This is his first date with the lovely Ms. Clark over there. I told him that this was the place to go. I knew that you would take care of them."

"First date?" A crafty look crossed Marcus's face. "I'll have a little bit of wine delivered to their table."

Carlton opened his mouth, presumably to object on the grounds that Nicole wasn't twenty-one, but Wolf cut him off with an elbow to the stomach.

"What the hell," Carlton muttered, throwing Wolf a dirty look, which Wolf disregarded. Americans were so weirdly priggish about alcohol.

"I also have this," Tex pulled a block of baker's chocolate out of his jacket. "Thought you might be able to work your magic. I need three of something to-go, whatever you do for the love-birds, and you can keep the rest."

Marcus's eyes gleamed as he took in the brick-size package, wrapped in white wax paper. "Oh, my friend. Your young Romeo is about to have the best date of his life."

"Probably the only date of his life," Carlton observed as the three men settled into a booth on the far side of the café, one that offered a slightly obstructed line of sight to Rick and Nicole.

"He seems to be doing pretty well for himself, bro," Wolf replied, watching as Rick finally got up the courage to slide his hand across the table to where Nicole's hand was resting. In response, she turned her hand over, intertwining their fingers. Wolf leaned back in the booth, sipping from the beer that had appeared before him without prompting (a benefit of arriving with Tex, apparently), and grinned devilishly at Carlton. "Hope you brought your wallet."

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"Give it up, mate, he's not going to screw it up now," Wolf commented as he fished another onion ring off the plate of "snacks" that had arrived at their table, free of charge, with their last round of drinks.

"Is that Green?" Carlton asked suddenly, lobster fork halfway to his mouth. With constant food shortages, Norfolk had turned to an age-old tradition and begun farming the sea, resulting in surpluses of lobster and crab, which had gone from a delicacy to a staple.

Sure enough, the couple was just entering the café, their expressions relaxed and happy as they walked arm-in-arm.

"KFG!" Tex called. Danny was the first to notice them, turning towards their booth with a resigned look on his face.

"What are you doing here, man?" Carlton demanded as he stood to give Kara a hug.

"I was _trying_ to take my wife out to celebrate," Danny replied. "You are looking at President Michener's new senior military advisor."

"Danny," Kara protested, her cheeks pink. "It's not public yet."

Green grinned at his wife, his pride in Kara unmistakable. "Pretty sure the guys knew before you did, sweetheart."

"Congratulations darling. Always knew that you were the brains of the operation," Tex said with a wink.

"How about you?" Kara asked Tex. "Made a decision yet?"

For a second Tex's jovial mask slipped and Wolf could see the man's internal struggle with what he was about to do. "Kat's spent eight months on the Nathan James. I think it's time for me to give her a real home. St. Louis sounds as good as anywhere else and babysitting Michener can't be worse than Gitmo."

"New head of security for the president. Congratulations mate."

"I don't know, man, you might get stuck dealing with Samuels again," Carlton teased.

"At least he doesn't snore," Tex retorted.

"What are you guys doing here anyway?" Danny asked as he snagged a crab cake.

"Just getting something to eat," Carlton replied a little too casually.

Kara narrowed her eyes at all of them. "In other words, you're spying on Rick."

"Now, darling, would we…"

Kara cut Tex off with a wave of her hand. "Don't even try. I saw Rick as soon as we got here and I know all of you too well to believe that it was a coincidence."

"Want to join us?" Tex's eyebrows wiggled up and down.

Danny looked at Kara inquiringly. She shrugged, sliding into the booth next to Carlton. "At least this way we get a seat. I have never seen this place so crowded."

"They're serving chocolate cake," Wolf explained. "Apparently the news spread quick."

"Chocolate cake?" Kara asked, eyes growing wide as she turned to Danny. Wolf snorted in amusement as Green immediately stood back up and went looking for a server.

"By the way, I owe you fifty," Danny said to Tex once the requested slice of chocolate molten cake with vanilla ice cream materialized, along with a beer for Danny and an iced tea for Kara. "You were right about Eddie and Kelly."

Carlton choked on his beer. "Eddie and Kelly? As in Kelly _Tophet_?"

Tex reached over to smack Burk's back. "I knew I liked Ward."

Before Carlton could respond, an mocking female drawl sounded from behind them.

"Do you people ever spend time alone?"

"Sure we do darling. Green gets pissy when I try to shower with his wife," Tex responded.

"Lish!" Kara climbed over Danny to give Granderson a hug. "I didn't expect to see you tonight."

"We thought it might be nice to get out…" Val began, but Alisha cut her off with a snort.

"Val put an alert on the word chocolate. As soon as someone connected to the base computer typed the word, her laptop went crazy."

Kara laughed as she patted the seat next to her. "I think they have a few more slices. Believe me when I tell you that this cake was worth interrupting whatever you guys were up to."

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"What are you all doing here?" Rick asked, his voice only slightly slurred. The guys had planned to hide when Rick and Nicole rose from their table, but Kara and Alisha had immediately vetoed that idea, waving the young couple over to join them. Nicole had blushed becomingly when Rick introduced her to Kara and Val as his "girlfriend."

"Celebrating." Danny was the first to answer. "You are looking at the president's senior military advisor and the new head of the Secret Service."

"Right on," Rick responded. "Where's Cruz?"

"Neither he nor Caro made it back to the house," Kara noted.

"I'm guessing that those two are having a more private celebration," Tex said, his eyebrows waggling.

Kara looked to Danny. "Think he popped the question?"

"Yup. Although God knows why he wants to get married," Danny replied, his arm tightening around Kara's shoulders before she could slug him.

Tex turned to Wolf and Carlton. "If I were a betting man, which I am, I would put money on Cruz making things official before the James leaves town. That just leaves the two of you. Think you can muddle through without Papa Tex around to help you?"

"As if I need any help," Carlton scoffed, but Wolf could see the shadow that crossed Burk's face. Wolf was not naive enough to believe that all of the questions Tex had asked when Wolf and Ravit first boarded the Nathan James were mere curiosity. In fact, he was certain that most of the information had been for Carlton's benefit.

As he scooted into the booth to make room for Rick and Nicole, Wolf glanced around the table at the faces surrounding him. At the people who had become so much more than his teammates. His conversation with Rick yesterday came to mind.

_"What is it like? Having brothers and sisters?"_

_"It's kind of like being on a team. You don't get to pick them but you're stuck with them so you make the best of it. You laugh and you fight and after a while you don't know what you would do without them."_

And as thankful and blessed as Wolf was to know that his mother and siblings had survived, Wolf knew that he would mourn the loss of any of these people just as deeply. Because they had become members of his family just as much as Winona and Magnus and Lakota and Tyee and Skye, and he had no idea what he would do without them.

Wolf caught Carlton's gaze. "Lot of sheilas in Australia, mate. Maybe I can introduce you to one or two."

Carlton turned to Wolf and, his lips curling into a smile. "You are on, my man. You are on."


End file.
